She grew up in the Australian cities of Balwyn, Ormond, McKinnon, and Geelong.
Her father, Lawrence, was a church minister and tenor. Her mother, Ruth, played the organ.
She was awarded the Dame Mabel Brookes Fellowship in 1986, represented Australia in the Finals of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions Competition (held in New York) and won the Royal Overseas League Competition in London in 1989.
Has sung in such classic operas as La Bohème, Madama Butterfly, Entführung aus dem Serail, Die Zauberflöte, I Pagliacci and The Turn of the Screw.
Son with husband Peter Coleman-Wright, Gabriel, was born on July 20, 1999.