Kathy was born in the bush, near Ernabella, South Australia. Her father comes from the Uluru Region while her mother’s country is in Irrunytju, 400 kilometres west of Fregon in Western Australia. Her family moved into the mission at Ernabella and she went to school there, before moving to Victory Downs, a cattle station near Ernabella. Kathy worked as a Cultural Tour Guide at Uluru, guiding tourists, cleaning and washing dishes at the tourist camp.

Kathy returned to Ernabella to marry. Her husband is Johnny Roberts and they have five children and numerous grandchildren. In Ernabella, Kathy started work at the art centre and learnt to sew, spin wool and make rugs.

Kathy and her family moved to Fregon in the 1970s, when it was still a mission outstation. At the Fregon craft room, Kathy learnt batik techniques and painting with acrylics on canvas.

Due to the secret sacred nature of her traditional country, she is not allowed to share the tjukurrpa stories. Instead, she incorporates the unique ‘walka’ into her works (walka: an academic and anthropological description is ‘any meaningful mark or pattern’). The artists know it simply as ‘design’. She, like many of her contemporary women artists, developed the instinctive and spontaneous walka patterns into works of art with the influences and inspiration clearly traditional country and culture. This was ‘safe’ to use and did not conflict with any scared traditional imagery.

Kathy's commitment to her art is as strong as ever, in between working at Centrelink for a few years and as chairperson of the community council. As a long standing board member of Kaltjiti Arts as well as the Kaltjiti Community, it reflects her quiet yet strong leadership qualities and service to the community. In 2015, Kathy continues as a full-time artist and art worker at the Kaltjiti Art Centre.

Sales are mainly to private buyers who seek out her distinctive, vibrant work. At present her speciality is Tjulpun-Tjulpunpa - Desert Wildflowers. Her works are seen as impressionistic and she has been referred to as the ‘Monet’ of Indigenous art.