Born in Melbourne, Kerr learnt to swim at Albert Park Lake, and won medals at both the Victorian and Australasian championships in 1905, at the age of 17.

From there, Kerr went to England, giving swimming exhibitions in Bradford, Liverpool, London, and Manchester, being billed as "Australia's Champion Lady Swimmer and Diver".

At a stopover in Durban, Natal, she gave a performance billed as "Australia's Champion Lady Swimmer and Diver", which she would use for the remainder of the tour.

[1] During a performance in Blackpool in August 1911, Kerr rescued two young boys swept out from the jetty at the North Pier by a strong current.

[3] She returned to Australia in October 1911, and continued touring for a period of time before marrying Griffith Ellis Williams in Redfern, Sydney, on 3 April 1912.