She was the second of four children born to John Alexander Norris (public servant) and Ellen (née Heffernan).
[2] On 18 April 1929, Kathleen Norris married journalist David Thomas Worrall at the Independent Church, Collins Street, Melbourne.
Martha Gardener died on 12 February 1991, in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra, outliving her husband, son and daughter.
As a way of coping with the death of her daughter in 1942, she pursued a more active broadcasting career, initially on a shopping and cooking advice show called Can I Help You?.
Her popular hourlong program Martha Gardener Recommends was broadcast every afternoon, Monday to Friday.
She was a voracious reader with an extraordinary memory, which helped her gain a good knowledge of the subjects on which she gave advice.