Small attended Roman Catholic convent schools, including Sisters of the Good Samaritan, until leaving at the age of 16 to become a domestic servant and factory worker.

[11][12] In the 1950s she toured New Zealand and recorded the song "The End of the Affair" (1955), which Clinton Walker described as a contender for Australia's first rock 'n' roll single.

[16] The United Licensed Victuallers' Association, representing breweries, sought to ban live entertainers from performing as a distraction from customers drinking.

[11] Valentine then wrote a performance piece for the exhibition of photos of Small at the State Library of New South Wales in 2022.

This grew into a Kabarett performance, Send for Nellie, directed by Liesel Badorrek, featuring Elenoa Rokobaro and Zara Stanton as music director of an all-female band, for the Sydney Festival in January 2024.