Kate spent most of her young days growing up on a Hanwood farm with her parents and young brother Dare.

She was schooled at Hanwood Primary, and Griffith High where she earned her Leaving Certificate in 1965.

During these years Kate learned from her mother, teachers and peers to be a free thinker and speak her mind.

Kate then went to Sydney University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours.

She mixed with students of mainly left-wing sentiments and became a strong feminist.

Kate however did not become a slave to leftish dogma, she criticised them severely if needed.

Kate, all her life did not suffer fools, left, right or centre and she called out hypocrites and bull s--- artists, usually with a severe pen.

Kate's first act of notoriety and fame came on May 8, 1970 when she effectively hi-jacked a huge Vietnam Moratorium rally on the front lawns of Sydney uni.

She grabbed the microphone and delivered a confronting, even incendiary 10-minute speech about the inequality suffered by women.

The speech is credited with signalling the beginning of second wave of feminism in Australia.

Kate did not just talk; she was active in encouraging women's lib meetings across the county and with other feminists helped set up Australia's first refuge for victims of domestic violence.

Kate moved to New York, USA, in 1979, where her writing career began in earnest and blossomed.

She at first worked for magazines and newspapers before becoming a speech writer on Wall Street.

The experiences on Wall Street, and as a carer of her husband were the basis of her award-winning book Moral Hazard.

Kate was prolific in writing many articles for international news outlets, two novels, many essays, op-eds, short stories, poetry and two autobiographies.

In 1996 she wrote Snake, a brilliant, pungent novel about a young girl growing up in the Riverina in the 1950s.

In the words of her literary peers, Kate wrote with a brilliant, angry yet funny pen, and she was a "ferocious truth teller".

She won many literary awards for her works, Kate married Bob Cato, a photographer and graphic designer in 1987.

Unfortunately, Bob died of Alzheimer's in 1999.

Kate returned to Australia, especially Griffith several times over the years, where she caught up with family and friends.

Most of Kate's close relatives in Australia were males, however we brushed off her criticisms with tolerance, respect and love.

Kate passed away in New York on May 1 2021, after a short illness, she leaves a devoted brother Dare.

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