The family moved to Brisbane, Queensland, where Nowotny attended a convent school run by the Loreto Sisters.
[5] Nowotny enjoyed reading and teaching philosophy, and decided to earn advanced degrees in the field.
She wrote her doctoral thesis on Gabriel Marcel's philosophy; she had the opportunity to meet and interview him while in Paris.
[5] After completing her PhD, Nowotny served as principal at St Mary's College, Melbourne University.
[2] In 1995, Nowotny co-edited a volume called Freedom and Entrapment: Women Thinking Theology, with Maryanne Confoy and Dorothy A.