The Honoured Women Oral History Project

Lesley Cuthbertson, nee Cox, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Australia Day honours list, 1998, for service to child development, in particular as the Director of the Lesley Cox School of Music, Movement and Drama, and to the community. Lesley Cuthbertson was born in Unley, South Australia. She speaks about her early education; nervous illness; introduction to Eurythmics with Heather Gell; her office work; marriage to her first cousin Roderic in 1947; adopting their 3 children; development of the Lesley Cox School of Music, Movement and Drama; charity work; working with children with disabilites; producing books; radio and television programs (Playroom); and inclusion of her methods into teacher training in 1998. She also discusses various productions that she staged including Sacred Dance in 1962 for the Festival of Arts, receiving her OAM, and the scholarship she has set up to honour her late niece, Robin Follett.