Jeanette Sinclair lived with her non-Indigenous grandparents from the age of five. At the age of twelve she was sent to live with her father and stepmother who were both strangers to her. Sinclair ran away several times and was institutionalised because she didn't want to go home.
At the age of 27, Sinclair began study at the Tranby Aboriginal College in New South Wales. While studying at Tranby, Jeanette discovered another student knew of her mother Doreen Collard. Six months later she had arranged to meet her mother and travelled to Western Australia where she was reunited with many family members.
Sinclair has worked as a youth worker and studied Sociology at the University of New South Wales.