The daughter of Samuel and Hilda (née Blandford) Hammond, Joan Hammond who was educated at Presbyterian Ladies College, Pymble New South Wales, established an early interest in sports. An expert swimmer during her teens Hammond, transferred to the sport of golf. She won the women's state golf championship for New South Wales in 1932, 1934, 1935 and the junior championship in 1929.

Hammond also played violin for three years with the Sydney Philharmonic Orchestra before studying singing in Vienna in 1936. She returned to Australia for concert tours in 1946, 1949 and 1953, and completed world concert tours between 1946 and 1961. After retiring in 1965, Hammond became artistic director of the Victoria Opera Company (1971-1976) and was then head of vocal studies and vocal consultant at the Victorian College of the Arts from 1975 to 1992. Her autobiography A voice, a life was published in 1970.

Sources used to compile this entry: 1000 Famous Australians, Rigby, 1978, 368 pp; Lofthouse, Andrea (ed.), Who's who of Australian women, Methuen Australia, North Ryde (NSW), 1982, 504 pp; Sharpe, Neill (Researcher) (ed.), Who's who in Australia 1996, 32 edn, Information Australia Group Pty Ltd, Melbourne, 1995, 1720 pp.