Kathleen Mary Josephine Leigh - later known as Kate - was born on March 10, 1881 as the eighth child to bootmaker Timothy Beahan and Charlotte Smith.

After a shaky start with childhood neglect, being in a girls' home at 12 and giving birth to her daughter Eileen May Beahan in 1900, relationships with law breaking men, including at least three marriages, led Kate into Sydney's underworld.

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She became an organised crime entrepreneur, charging excessive prices for a full range of illicit goods and services, including after-hours drinking venues, sly-grog trades, illegal betting, gambling and cocaine.

Kate went on to be a madam and major underworld figure, often known as 'Queen of the Underworld'.

Although she made her fortune mainly from the illegal sale of alcohol, it is curious to note that Kate never drank or smoked.

Kate obtained loyalty and protection from a male network of gangsters, but often had to protect them and was adept with a rifle.

Rival gangs eroded her profits from cocaine by standing over and slashing decoys (often working prostitutes) with razors.

For 30 years, Kate Leigh and her arch-enemy Tilly Devine ran the male-dominated Sydney Underworld.

Kate notched up 107 criminal convictions and served 13 jail terms. Appearing in courtrooms draped in furs and dripping with diamonds - her wealth was legendary.

Despite all the money Kate enjoyed shoplifting and frequently secreted goods from Grace Bros and Mark Foys in her voluminous bloomers.

Despite surviving the depression and two world wars, the empires of Kate Leigh and Tilly Devine crumbled in the 1950s when new, hungrier criminals emerged and the taxation office pounced.

Kate eventually lost her houses, money and possessions.

She no longer bothered going to central criminal court to support friends because most of them were dead. She stopped staging parties for local children and helping the homeless and remained at home living in the past.

Kate suffered a stroke on Friday January 31, 1964 and was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital. She slipped into a coma and died on February 4.

Her funeral three days later was attended by Kate's daughter, a few surviving siblings, "old lags" from the underworld, police and masses of people from Surry Hills.