Kate Leigh

Kate Leigh
Kate Leigh in April, 1915
Born	Kathleen Mary Josephine Beahan (1881-03-10)10 March 1881 Dubbo, New South Wales
Died	4 February 1964(1964-02-04) (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) [1]
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.^[1]