Sally Dammery practiced clinical midwifery for many years, developing a deep interest in the diversity of cultural beliefs and traditions among the women she attended. Travelling widely increased this interest and led to formal study of anthropology and history. Previous publications include the ethnography Walter George Arthur: a Free Tasmanian? which shared the Ian Turner History Prize in 2001, and the biography of her enigmatic grandmother, She Lived in Launceston: Isobel Horner of Waratah House, winner of the Lilian Watson Family History Award 2006.