ˈæftɚɹ ˌɛdʒuːkˈeɪʃən fˈɜːst ɪn mˈɛlbɚn, æt ðə stˈɑːɹ ʌvðə sˈiː lˈeɪdiz kˈɑːlɪdʒ ænd ðə kɹˈɑːmɑːɹɾi ɡˈɜːlz skˈuːl, ɪn ˈɛlstɚnwˌɪk, ʃiː ðˈɛn ɐtˈɛndᵻd vɪktˈoːɹiəpˈɛnʃənˌæt ɪn bˈæd hˈɑːmbɜːɡ, dʒˈɜːməni ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ɪlˈɛvən tʊ ɐdvˈæns hɜː mjˈuːzɪk stˈʌdiz æɾə fˈɪnɪʃɪŋ skˈuːl, bᵻkˈʌmɪŋ ɐn ɐkˈɑːmplɪʃt pˈiənɪst bˌʌt sˈʌfɚɹɪŋ fɹʌm stˈeɪdʒ fɹˈaɪt.
After education first in Melbourne, at the Star of the Sea Ladies’ College and the Cromarty Girls’ School, in Elsternwick, she then attended Victoria-Pensionat in Bad Homburg, Germany in 1911 to advance her music studies at a finishing school, becoming an accomplished pianist but suffering from stage fright.