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The Worst Woman in Sydney: The Life and Crimes of Kate Leigh
Despite having more than 100 criminal convictions to her name, Kate Leigh is also remembered as a local hero, giving money to needy families and supporting her local community through the hard times of Depression and war. Here, novelist and historian Leigh Straw teases out the full story of how this wayward Reformatory girl from Dubbo made a fortune in eastern Sydney and defied the gender stereotyping of the time to become a leading underworld figure.
272 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 24, 2018
Oh praise the lord I finally finished it 🙌🙌
At some point it almost crept up to 1.5 stars, but I’m knocking off the (questionable) .5 because of who told me to read this book in the first place. Fuck that guy in particular.
Man, I was so excited for this book when it first came out. I love Sydney crime history, particularly the razor gangs, and loved Larry Writer’s Razor. But this was just...it was shit. Aside from it being generally nearly unreadable without causing a slump, I had three main issues with it
1. Timeline what timeline? What’s happening? What decade are we in now? Does this book actually follow a line of thought or is it just someone rambling on about Kate Leigh?
2. What was the point of the random snippets that read like fiction? Are they supposed to set the scene? Because they don’t. Are they even historically accurate? Because I don’t buy it. They were almost my least favourite part of the entire damn thing.
3. At least one third of the book was just repeating stuff from the other two thirds of the book. Within pages of each other too. One paragraph used the work ‘larrikin’ seven times and I desperately wanted to break something.
One good thing about this book is that the last 40 pages are notes and an index that you don’t need to read so it made the book feel a lot shorter than it was, which was nice.
At some point it almost crept up to 1.5 stars, but I’m knocking off the (questionable) .5 because of who told me to read this book in the first place. Fuck that guy in particular.
Man, I was so excited for this book when it first came out. I love Sydney crime history, particularly the razor gangs, and loved Larry Writer’s Razor. But this was just...it was shit. Aside from it being generally nearly unreadable without causing a slump, I had three main issues with it
1. Timeline what timeline? What’s happening? What decade are we in now? Does this book actually follow a line of thought or is it just someone rambling on about Kate Leigh?
2. What was the point of the random snippets that read like fiction? Are they supposed to set the scene? Because they don’t. Are they even historically accurate? Because I don’t buy it. They were almost my least favourite part of the entire damn thing.
3. At least one third of the book was just repeating stuff from the other two thirds of the book. Within pages of each other too. One paragraph used the work ‘larrikin’ seven times and I desperately wanted to break something.
One good thing about this book is that the last 40 pages are notes and an index that you don’t need to read so it made the book feel a lot shorter than it was, which was nice.
October 15, 2019
‘She was a crime boss and a force to be reckoned with in the Sydney underworld.’
Kathleen Mary Josephine Leigh (née Beahan; 10 March 1881 – 4 February 1964) was an Australian underworld figure who rose to prominence as an illegal trader of alcohol and cocaine from her home in Surry Hills, Sydney, Australia during the first half of the twentieth century. Kate Leigh was one of the leading figures in the notorious Sydney razor gang wars: she had more than 100 criminal convictions to her name. She was also known for her acts of generosity to members of her local community during the Depression.
So, how does a rebellious teenager from Dubbo, sent to a reformatory become the wealthy ‘Queen of Sly Grog’ in eastern Sydney? How does a woman, known for dealing in cocaine, owner of brothels come to be spoken of highly by the police at her funeral?
Kate Leigh was both villain and benefactor, and certainly seems to have been regarded as a local hero in Surry Hills.
‘Some criminals have the advantage of being born in the right place at the right time.’
I picked up this book after reading Ms Straw’s books about Lillian Armfield and Dulcie Markham. I was curious to learn more about Kate Leigh and her place as a leading underworld figure. While I found the book interesting, I’m not sure that I found Kate Leigh particularly admirable. Still, in a world dominated by men she certainly made her mark.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Kathleen Mary Josephine Leigh (née Beahan; 10 March 1881 – 4 February 1964) was an Australian underworld figure who rose to prominence as an illegal trader of alcohol and cocaine from her home in Surry Hills, Sydney, Australia during the first half of the twentieth century. Kate Leigh was one of the leading figures in the notorious Sydney razor gang wars: she had more than 100 criminal convictions to her name. She was also known for her acts of generosity to members of her local community during the Depression.
So, how does a rebellious teenager from Dubbo, sent to a reformatory become the wealthy ‘Queen of Sly Grog’ in eastern Sydney? How does a woman, known for dealing in cocaine, owner of brothels come to be spoken of highly by the police at her funeral?
Kate Leigh was both villain and benefactor, and certainly seems to have been regarded as a local hero in Surry Hills.
‘Some criminals have the advantage of being born in the right place at the right time.’
I picked up this book after reading Ms Straw’s books about Lillian Armfield and Dulcie Markham. I was curious to learn more about Kate Leigh and her place as a leading underworld figure. While I found the book interesting, I’m not sure that I found Kate Leigh particularly admirable. Still, in a world dominated by men she certainly made her mark.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
December 17, 2019
I read this one super quick because I was enjoying it so much.
This book is quite well-written and the author has done a good job of piecing together the available evidence to create a complete picture of the subject. It must have been really difficult to do, as Kate Leigh appears to have not been very truthful or willing to cooperate with authorities during her lifetime, and witnesses to events at the time were not forthcoming with information. This, of course, creates gaps which can only be filled by sensationalised newspaper articles and anecdotes. Some details are repeated, but I liked how the chapters were divided into focusing on different aspects of Kate’s life rather than just being a total chronological timeline. It still follows a loose timeline, but her life was very convoluted, so I think doing the book in complete chronological events may have lead to unavoidable inaccuracies or simplified her life too much. I also liked how the author used historical information from the time period to provide a bigger picture.
I was not a fan of the little bits of fiction at the end of each chapter where the author imagined events - I just don’t think these pieces added anything to the story.
I think Kate Leigh is definitely one of the most fascinating Australian historical figures. Although she was a criminal and some of her actions may have hurt/killed some people, I can’t help but admire her. She made it to the top of a male dominated society, and excelled in her role without losing her humanity. She took the people who crossed her to task, while still being charitable and giving back to her local community. It isn’t surprising that she was equal parts feared and beloved by the people of Surrey Hills in her time. She was complicated - fearsome and tough, yet loving and caring.
I recommend giving this book a read if you are interested in Sydney crime history, or if you are interested in reading about a woman who defied the prescribed societal role that was expected during her time.
This book is quite well-written and the author has done a good job of piecing together the available evidence to create a complete picture of the subject. It must have been really difficult to do, as Kate Leigh appears to have not been very truthful or willing to cooperate with authorities during her lifetime, and witnesses to events at the time were not forthcoming with information. This, of course, creates gaps which can only be filled by sensationalised newspaper articles and anecdotes. Some details are repeated, but I liked how the chapters were divided into focusing on different aspects of Kate’s life rather than just being a total chronological timeline. It still follows a loose timeline, but her life was very convoluted, so I think doing the book in complete chronological events may have lead to unavoidable inaccuracies or simplified her life too much. I also liked how the author used historical information from the time period to provide a bigger picture.
I was not a fan of the little bits of fiction at the end of each chapter where the author imagined events - I just don’t think these pieces added anything to the story.
I think Kate Leigh is definitely one of the most fascinating Australian historical figures. Although she was a criminal and some of her actions may have hurt/killed some people, I can’t help but admire her. She made it to the top of a male dominated society, and excelled in her role without losing her humanity. She took the people who crossed her to task, while still being charitable and giving back to her local community. It isn’t surprising that she was equal parts feared and beloved by the people of Surrey Hills in her time. She was complicated - fearsome and tough, yet loving and caring.
I recommend giving this book a read if you are interested in Sydney crime history, or if you are interested in reading about a woman who defied the prescribed societal role that was expected during her time.
July 10, 2019
My knowledge of Sydney’s dark criminal history is sketchy at best: I haven’t watched any of the Underbelly series, so the story of Kate Leigh, Tilly Devine and the world of the razor gangs was all new to me.
I was excited to learn about this notorious woman Kate Leigh and her world. Does Leigh Straw tell this story well? Not particularly. The time-line jumps all over the place, it’s enormously repetitive and Straw has tried to create a sense of intimacy by writing “interludes” between chapters, (using a different font) featuring scenes from Kate Leigh’s life. I found these jarring and ineffectual. There is, however, no denying that Straw has done her research, if the pages and pages of notes and bibliography are anything to go by!
Kate Leigh was certainly larger than life. She could be extremely ruthless on the one hand, and extremely generous on the other. She dominated in a man's world. She was astute enough to know that she needed to manipulate the press to portray her not as a hardened criminal, but rather a woman who looked out for her community in “the hills’ (Surry Hills). She had her own skewed moral compass: she never drank, took drugs or prostituted herself - but was more than willing to make her money from all of the above.
Straw makes no effort to hide the fact that she has fallen under Kate Leigh’s spell, and bends over backwards to always point out her positives. She tries to be impartial, but fails. She constantly refers to Leigh as being a larrikin - she wasn’t. She was a hard woman who made her living from the misery of others.
However, The Worst Woman in Sydney has peaked my interest in this colourful part of our history, and I will investigate further reading.
I was excited to learn about this notorious woman Kate Leigh and her world. Does Leigh Straw tell this story well? Not particularly. The time-line jumps all over the place, it’s enormously repetitive and Straw has tried to create a sense of intimacy by writing “interludes” between chapters, (using a different font) featuring scenes from Kate Leigh’s life. I found these jarring and ineffectual. There is, however, no denying that Straw has done her research, if the pages and pages of notes and bibliography are anything to go by!
Kate Leigh was certainly larger than life. She could be extremely ruthless on the one hand, and extremely generous on the other. She dominated in a man's world. She was astute enough to know that she needed to manipulate the press to portray her not as a hardened criminal, but rather a woman who looked out for her community in “the hills’ (Surry Hills). She had her own skewed moral compass: she never drank, took drugs or prostituted herself - but was more than willing to make her money from all of the above.
Straw makes no effort to hide the fact that she has fallen under Kate Leigh’s spell, and bends over backwards to always point out her positives. She tries to be impartial, but fails. She constantly refers to Leigh as being a larrikin - she wasn’t. She was a hard woman who made her living from the misery of others.
However, The Worst Woman in Sydney has peaked my interest in this colourful part of our history, and I will investigate further reading.
March 4, 2021
I enjoyed most of the read but was a little too repetitive and at times, hard to follow. There were a few great stories that could be structured in a more cohesive way.
March 17, 2017
The life of Kate Leigh has been a formidable one in Australian history.
Having watched Underbelly and not knowing who she was until then I had a chance to read up on her before reading this book.
It covers both her early life and continues all the way up until her death. I do however wish there was more depth to it. I feel like the stories were just brushed over where it could of gone deeper and had created a fuller story.
I feel like there was so much missed that showed so many more sides of Kate Leigh and her reign as "The Worst Woman In Sydney" and her long enduring fight with Tilly Devine (who is barely mentioned in this book besides more then a passing glance).
Having watched Underbelly and not knowing who she was until then I had a chance to read up on her before reading this book.
It covers both her early life and continues all the way up until her death. I do however wish there was more depth to it. I feel like the stories were just brushed over where it could of gone deeper and had created a fuller story.
I feel like there was so much missed that showed so many more sides of Kate Leigh and her reign as "The Worst Woman In Sydney" and her long enduring fight with Tilly Devine (who is barely mentioned in this book besides more then a passing glance).
October 8, 2016
Rather repetitive. A little documentary like, but an interesting insight into The Sydney underworld of the 1920s
September 29, 2019
This book had a lot of potential but it ended up being repetitive and long-winded. It really should have been an essay because the most interesting bits would have fit that format and length quite nicely. Literally 35% of the book is reference/author notes, which was a relief by the end, if I'm honest, because I could skim it and be done with this book. Kate Leigh is a fascinating character and I did enjoy learning about her life and times, despite the dull writing.
August 20, 2019
What a fascinating story about a woman and the city of Sydney. I really enjoyed reading this book, it was easy, the words just flowed and could not put it down. A few times I felt things kept repeating but it was just reinforcing the message that was flowing in different sections. I found it very interesting to learn about Kate Leigh's life, the whole sly grog business and how big cocaine was as well as prostitution in Sydney. Funny how Darlinghusrt and Surry Hills were the slums of Sydney and now the reputation they have. I still love the history behind it all. I learnt a lot about Sydney history that makes me want to learn more. I will definitely go check out Kate's old house which is a cafe called Sly. You wonder how life was back then, even though I read the book and you think Kate is like a Robin Hood, but no mistaken I am sure she has ruthless and violent. What a facinating story.
July 11, 2018
The history of Sydney was interesting. There was a lot of fluff to this book with clearly not much detail of Kate Leigh’s life available to the author.
May 20, 2019
Great title which intrigues potential readers. But very repetitive and poorly structured story which jumps around. Why the changes in font? Very difficult to follow and I almost gave up.
April 2, 2021
Interesting history, but the book itself is an exceptionally dry read.
November 22, 2021
A badly written book about a fascinating woman.
July 27, 2022
Interesting factual social history of Sydney and its criminals. However it was not an easy read repetitive,and lacking any sense of story telling .
October 16, 2020
This book is a factual record of an interesting period in the city of Sydney's life. It is certainly not a book you 'can't put down' though I suspect it was not written to be that type of book. As a factual record it has probably achieved its aim.
November 13, 2023
A thorough, comprehensive and compelling read about Razor Gang leader Kate Leigh, her life, history and crimes. Very readable!
September 20, 2016
We have seen the Underbelly Razor but it never touched much on the life of Kate Leigh who was quoted by Police as The Worst Woman in Sydney. Despite sly grog and other criminal dealings this shows the insight into a figure of the past. A thoroughly enjoyable read and well presented to give a good account of Kates true story.
November 7, 2016
Fantastic
February 16, 2017
A captivating historical true crime story set in an interesting period of Sydney's past. The interludes at the beginning of each chapter bring the story to life. A must read for crime fans.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews