She travelled widely before coming to Western Australia in 1973, later completing a PhD at Murdoch University on politics and ethics.

In 1974 and 1975, Sharp was a journalist for the ABC, and during that time was a prominent activist in Western Australia's burgeoning forest movement.

[1] In 1977, Sharp moved with her partner from the city to a farm in Balingup, where she started a local business as a tree farmer.

In the 1989 state election, Sharp worked for the Greens candidate for the South West Region, Louise Duxbury, on policy development.

In 1997, Sharp was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Council as a Greens member representing South West Region.