Leath is an important member of the Oberon community, and has an amazing life in our district. She was born at the small cottage hospital in Wisemans Creek on March 27, 1909. Her father was Frank Tremlow and her mother Elizabeth, nee Todd. Her maternal grandfather originally came from Ireland. He travelled over the Blue Mountains in a bullock dray to settle at Wisemans Creek on a property called “Mountain View”.

Leath attended Glenburn Public School at Wiseman’s Creek until the age of 15. In a book that Leath wrote many years ago she says: “It was a good school and they weren't afraid to use the cane”.

A highlight of Leath’s early years in Oberon was a trip on the first train to Tarana with two of her good friends, Hilda Harris and Enamore Cosgrove.

Leath loved selling things and meeting people, so when her father died she decided to move to Orange and pursue a career as a shop assistant. Hard work and diligent saving eventually enabled her to buy the Orange General Store. The store was a great success and during that time she met and married her first husband, Frank Purdon, and they returned to live at Wisemans Creek.

Their new home was a 2,000 acre property called “Spring Valley” which Frank bought at Wisemans Creek. The property ran lambing ewes and Leath pursued her love of growing vegetables - generally enough for their own needs and those of the neighbours. Leath also raised dairy calves. There was always one or two cows on the property which she milked every day and continued to do so until the age of 90. Leath also has vivid memories of the dreaded serrated tussock that grew in abundance on Spring Valley and the ongoing battle to get it under control. Frank died in 1954.

Some time later Leath met and married married Bill Johnson, a horticulturist from Victoria. They moved to a property at Wisemans Creek called “Yarrawong”. Leath loved growing things and it had always been her dream to own and run a nursery. Convincing Bill was easy and so the nursery at Yarrawong became a reality.