Daughter of Gordon James Johnston and his wife Kathleen Mary, Fiona Johnston was the youngest of three children. She lived for eight years in the Blue Mountains, at Springwood and Blackheath, and attended Blackheath Primary School. In 1958 the family moved to Canberra, where her father was a pharmacist at O'Connor Pharmacy. Johnston attended Lyneham Primary School where she was School Captain in 1961, then Lyneham High School. After completing her secondary education Johnston studied Social Work at the University of Sydney, graduating in 1972. Johnston married Peter Lumb in 1970 and re-located to Parkside, South Australia in 1973. Johnston has two daughters, Miata (1976) and Miriam (1979).
Johnston began writing poetry and keeping a regular journal in 1991. Her journal is largely an account of her inner journey, and is, she says, a profoundly important 'anchor' in her life. Her poetry comes from her desire to express what is sacred in life, and to communicate this in a way which is lyrical and accessible to others.
(Source: personal details provided by the author)
