Kate Leigh

Kate Leigh
Kate Leigh
	Kate Leigh in April, 1915
Born	Kathleen Mary Josephine Beahan; 10 March 1881; Dubbo, New South Wales
Died	4 February 1964 (aged 82); St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney
Burial place	Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park
Nationality	English Australian
Other names	Kathleen Lee; Kathleen Barry; Kathleen Ryan; Queen of the Underworld (nickname);
Occupation(s)	Gangster, brothel madam, cocaine trafficker
Years active	c. 1920s–1950s
Known for	Razor gangs; sly-grog and drug supply; prostitution; illegal gambling; philanthropy; feud with Tilly Devine;
Spouses	James Ernest Leigh (m. 1902, div. 1921); Edward Joseph Barry (m.1922, dec'd. 1948); Ernest Alexander Ryan (m. 1950, dec'd. 1954) ;

Kathleen Mary Josephine Leigh (née Beahan; 10 March 1881 – 4 February 1964) (other names included Kathleen Barry, and Kathleen Ryan) was an Australian underworld figure who rose to prominence as a madam, illegal trader of alcohol and cocaine, and for running betting/gambling syndicates from her home in Surry Hills, Sydney, Australia during the first half of the twentieth century. Leigh, known as the ‘Queen of Surry Hills’, was a sly groger and fence for stolen property.

She was a leading figure in the notorious Sydney razor gang wars. She was known for her continuing feud with fellow vice-regal underworld figure Tilly Devine, a madam based at Woolloomooloo, as well as her acts of generosity for the unemployed during a repressive era, and her wartime patriotism.

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