▁O ' D onn ell ▁( born ▁ 1 9 2 7 / 1 9 2 8 ▁– ▁died ▁ 1 0 ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 7 ), ▁was ▁a ▁prominent ▁Sydney ▁entrepr ene ur ▁and ▁supp orter ▁of ▁the ▁Sydney ▁L GB T ▁community . ▁She ▁has ▁been ▁cred ited ▁with ▁being ▁a ▁defining ▁early ▁influence ▁on ▁the ▁gay ▁and ▁les bian ▁club ▁scene ▁in ▁Sydney ' s ▁Oxford ▁Street ▁and ▁New town . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Born ▁circa ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁in ▁the ▁Sydney ▁sub urb ▁of ▁P adding ton , ▁she ▁won ▁a ▁b urs ary ▁to ▁St ▁Vincent ' s ▁College , ▁Pot ts ▁Point , ▁run ▁by ▁the ▁Sister s ▁of ▁Char ity . ▁She ▁left ▁school ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 5 , ▁and ▁three ▁years ▁later , ▁aged ▁ 1 8 , ▁won ▁the ▁Australian ▁ladies ▁speed ▁sk ating ▁championship , ▁turned ▁professional ▁and ▁taught ▁at ▁the ▁Gla ci arium ▁before ▁going ▁to ▁London ▁and ▁Paris . ▁She ▁was ▁briefly ▁married ▁to ▁a ▁but cher ▁named ▁Des ▁Ir win . ▁Her ▁career ▁began ▁as ▁an ▁international ▁ice ▁sk ater ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁te en ager . ▁It ▁was ▁while ▁tour ing ▁Paris ▁as ▁a ▁perform er ▁in ▁the ▁P uss ▁in ▁Bo ots ▁on ▁ice ▁show , ▁she ▁had ▁her ▁first ▁rom ance ▁with ▁another ▁woman . ▁ ▁Career ▁After ▁her ▁prom ising ▁sk ating ▁career ▁was ▁cut ▁short ▁by ▁injury , ▁O ' D onn ell ▁ran ▁a ▁but cher ▁shop ▁in