▁car p enter ▁from ▁Canada , ▁and ▁his ▁Australian ▁born ▁wife ▁Mary ▁Ann , ▁n ée ▁Emb erson . ▁I da ▁Le es on ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁Le ich hardt ▁Public ▁School ▁and ▁Sydney ▁Girls ▁High ▁School ▁where ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁successful ▁student , ▁winning ▁the ▁first ▁prize ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁class ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 . ▁Le es on ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Sydney ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 6 . ▁ ▁Career ▁Le es on ▁began ▁her ▁working ▁career ▁briefly ▁as ▁a ▁teacher , ▁before ▁taking ▁up ▁a ▁position ▁at ▁the ▁Public ▁Library ▁of ▁New ▁South ▁Wales ▁as ▁a ▁library ▁assistant ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 6 . ▁She ▁transferred ▁to ▁a ▁position ▁in ▁the ▁Mitchell ▁Library ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 9 , ▁where ▁she ▁processed ▁the ▁collection ▁of ▁Austral iana ▁be que athed ▁to ▁the ▁library ▁by ▁David ▁Scott ▁Mitchell . ▁ ▁" Le es on ' s ▁interest ▁in ▁Australian ▁and ▁Pacific ▁materials ▁grew ▁as ▁she ▁worked ▁up ▁the ▁ranks ▁at ▁the ▁Mitchell ▁Library , ▁eventually ▁landing ▁the ▁senior ▁position ▁of ▁principal ▁access ions ▁officer ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 9 ." ▁In ▁this ▁role ▁Le es on ▁was ▁amongst ▁the ▁most ▁senior ▁staff ▁at ▁the ▁library ▁ranking ▁behind ▁William ▁If ould , ▁Wright ▁and ▁N ita ▁K ib ble . ▁I da ▁Le es on ▁was ▁a ▁significant ▁influence ▁on ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Mitchell ▁Library ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁woman ▁to ▁achieve ▁a ▁senior ▁management ▁position ▁in ▁an ▁Australian ▁library . ▁ ▁Less