Nancy Cato

Nancy Fotheringham Cato (11 March 19173 July 2000) was an Australian writer who published more than twenty historical novels, biographies and volumes of poetry. Cato is also known for her work campaigning on environmental and conservation issues.

Life

Cato was born in Glen Osmond in South Australia, and was a fifth-generation Australian. She studied English literature and Italian at the University of Adelaide, graduating in 1939, then completed a two-year course at the South Australian School of Arts. She was a cadet journalist on The News from 1935 to 1941, and an art critic from 1957 to 1958.

Cato married Eldred De Bracton Norman, and travelled extensively overseas with him. They had one daughter and two sons. an independent and cooperative group that formed to publish verse by Australian writers. As a member of the Jindyworobak Movement, Cato edited the 1950 Jindyworobak Anthology,

In 2006 a new suburb of Franklin was proposed for Canberra with the streets named after Australian women writers. The suburb now includes Nancy Cato Street.

Awards 1933 South Australian Tennyson Medal for English Literature