Porter originally trained as a teacher and worked in education until she was forced to resign in 1962 as a result of the
marriage bar. Over several decades Dr Porter was then primary carer for her severely physically disabled son with fragile health. During this period she completed her
Bachelor of Arts. Porter has described her struggles during this time: After completing her Phd she continued her research and lecturing. She organised the inaugural course on motherhood at the
University of Queensland : HUMN2001: The Mother: Images, Issues and Practices. Porter's 2008 publication, ‘’Transformative Power in Motherwork’’, was based on her 2006 PhD thesis, which received the Dean's commendation from the University of Queensland. Since then she has published numerous texts on motherhood and has lectured internationally on this topic. Through setting up of
AMIRCI she has provided an avenue for many others to present and publish research in this emerging field. == Awards ==