Sally-ann was born and grew up in Llanelli, a small town on the South West coast of Wales. She was one of three children with two younger brothers. She had always wanted to live in Australia so in 1978 Sally-ann emigrated to Sydney Australia where she began establishing a new life.She resumed studying and on completion started her own business. During that time, she married her current husband. In 1998 she retired moving with her husband, a photographer, to live on Bribie Island in Queensland where she commenced writing children’s books for her grandchildren.