Her parents were Vivian Henry Cox and Enid Parry Trower, who own a grazing property in the Burdekin district where she was raised.
A foundation student at the University College of Townsville in 1961, she took on pharmacy before transferring to agricultural science in 1962, studying the subject for three years.
Elected as the National Party member for Mourilyan, it was the first time a non-Labor candidate had won the seat.
She stood again as the National Party candidate for Mourilyan at the 1983 state election but failed to win back her old seat.
She was believed to be favoured by Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen to become Queensland's first female minister, but this did not eventuate due to her defeat at the 1980 state election.