Central Policy Unit
Read was born in St Leonards, the daughter of Norman Read and Edith Gordon. She was educated in Sydney and received a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Town and Country Planning from the University of Sydney, becoming a journalist and university tutor. Moving into public service, she was Head of the Central Policy Unit in the New South Wales Department of Planning, Commissioner of Water Resources in New South Wales, and Director of the New South Wales Land Co-ordination Unit. Federally she was Executive Director of City Services in Canberra. She sat on North Sydney Municipal Council 1970–77 and 1987–91, and was General Manager of Byron Shire Council.