Gilling who was born in Castlecrag, New South Wales made her acting debut role in the 1974 film Stone but came to prominence that year in the Number 96 feature film version, as the "bad girl" flight attendant Diana Moore even though she was not a member of the regular TV series cast.
She was a regular support character in Glenview High (1977) and then appeared in The Young Doctors as Liz Kennedy.
Gilling later achieved international recognition in both the mini-series (1983) and subsequent series (1986) of Return to Eden as Stephanie Harper.
Her mother was prominent feminist Bridget Gilling,[3] who was married to WWI Navy serviceman Douglas Chalmers.
Her grandmother was suffragist Cicely Corbett Fisher, whilst her great-grandparents were politicians for the Liberal Party in England.