Woolley was born in
Hereford, England, eldest of five daughters of Mary Margaret Woolley, née Turner (died 21 September 1886), and her husband
John Woolley, who in 1850 was headmaster of
King Edward VI Grammar School, Norwich. Blanche Mary Elizabeth Woolley (1845–1906), mother of
Freda Du Faur, was a sister. In 1851 her father was offered a position of inaugural Professor of Logic and Classics and Principal at the
University of Sydney, and in 1852 the family emigrated to Sydney, Woolley turned to teaching, which she preferred to the concert stage. She also served as organist to
St John's Anglican Church, Darlinghurst, and coached the church choral society. She did much to popularize the works of
Grieg, also
Gounod,
Schubert,
Spohr,
Clara Schumann,
Mann,
Brahms, and
Rubinstein. who contributed to popular concerts ''à la "People's Concert"'' at the Sydney Sailors' Home. On occasion, Pedley sang in the choir at St John's church, where Woolley was organist, also at concerts in aid of the National Shipwreck Society, of which Woolley was an organiser. And Woolley supported Pedley's various concerts as accompanist, to universal acclaim. In 1885 they toured Europe, attending concerts and visiting conservatories. They were invited to a reception in London for
Franz Liszt. They were in London again in 1895–96, when they lobbied the Royal Academy of Music and Royal College of Music to enable their examinations to be held in Australia. Pedley founded and, assisted by Woolley, trained the St Cecilia Choir, an all-female society of some 30 members which, apart from benefiting its members, raised funds for charities such as the
Sydney City Mission. After ten years, the choir was still going strong, and on 11 June 1895 gave the first public performance of Woolley's cantata
The Captive Soul, to text by Pedley, at the Oddfellows' Temple, Elizabeth Street. They shared a house in Darlinghurst, where Pedley died on 6 August 1898, aged 39. She is remembered today for her book for children,
Dot and the Kangaroo, published posthumously.
St John's Church Woolley was organist for
St John's Anglican Church, Darlinghurst, for 10 years. In 1884 she established an Organ Fund, soliciting donations and raising money by concerts. The old (1867)
Walker and Sons organ was moved to the Congregational Church, Balmain, that same year and the church enlarged to accommodate the new three-manual
Hill and Son organ. It was installed by the Sydney firm of Layton Brothers, and 'opened' by the newly-appointed church organist
Fred Morley, in August 1886. The papers of the day made no mention of Miss Woolley.
Death Woolley died at her home, 27 Upper William Street south, Darlinghurst or North Sydney, after months of painful illness, having lost the use of her hands. Following a service at St John's Church, Darlinghurst, her remains were interred at the
Waverley Cemetery. == Compositions==