Katharine Parker was an Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

.

Parker, was born Catherine Parker at Lake River near Longford, Tasmania

Longford, Tasmania

Longford is a town in the north-east of Tasmania, Australia. It lies 175 m above sea level at the convergence of the Macquarie River and the South Esk River, 21 km south of Launceston. It is just south of the Illawarra Road, a road connecting the Bass and Midland Highways. It has a...

. From 1904 to 1906 she studied for a diploma in Music in Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

. At the inaugural Australian Exhibition of Women's Work she won the Piano Solo Gold Medal. She travelled to London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 to study with Percy Grainger

Percy Grainger

George Percy Aldridge Grainger , known as Percy Grainger, was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist. In the course of a long and innovative career he played a prominent role in the revival of interest in British folk music in the early years of the 20th century. He also made many...

, who had very high praise for her work and kept in touch with her for many years.

Her work consists mainly of songs for voice and piano and solo piano works. At least one of the latter (Nocturne in F-sharp minor) was published under the name "Kitty Parker".

She has been championed by her compatriot the pianist Ian Munro

Ian Munro (pianist)

Ian Munro is an Australian pianist, composer, writer and music educator. His career has taken him to over 30 countries in Europe, Asia, North America and Australasia.-Biography:...

, who has recorded some of her works and plays them in recital and has also written a biography of her.