Kath Pettingill

Pettingill's ten children are: (with Dennis Ryan) • Dennis Bruce Allen (1951–1987) – a drug dealer, jailed for rape in 1973 and died in 1987 of a heart attack while in custody awaiting trial for murder. • Peter Allen (born 1953) – convicted of armed robbery, who was once Victoria's most dangerous man and spent 28 years in jail. (with William George "Billy" Peirce (died 1968)) • Vicki or Vicky Brooks (born 1954; née Pettingill) – gave evidence against the family in the Walsh Street trial and subsequently went into witness protection. • "Shelley" (born 1956) – real name unknown. Placed for adoption and reestablished contact with Pettingill in 1989. • "Stephen" (born 1957) – real name unknown. Placed for adoption and reestablished contact with Pettingill in 1989. • Trevor Pettingill (born 1965) – acquitted of the 1988 Walsh Street police shootings, who has multiple convictions for firearms and drug-related offences and has served several jail terms. == Personal life ==

Pettingill first worked in a bar, and having herself been a prostitute, she went on to run brothels. == In popular culture ==

A biography of her life, The Matriarch: The Kathy Pettingill Story, was written by Adrian Tame and published in 1996. As of 2007, Pettingill was living in Venus Bay, Gippsland, Victoria. In the 2011 miniseries Killing Time, Pettingill is a major character, played by Kris McQuade. Fictionalized versions of Pettingill, as the character Janine "Smurf" Cody, have appeared in both the 2010 Australian film Animal Kingdom portrayed by Jacki Weaver, and the 2016 TNT television show of the same name portrayed by Ellen Barkin. Weaver was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance. ==References==