The daughter of a sea captain Winnie Levy grew up in Western Australia. She attended the White Gum Valley School and won a scholarship to the Perth Modern School. She completed a degree in French and Mathematics at the University of Western Australia and then went to the Sorbonne for two years. On returning to Western Australia she became a French tutor at the University of Western Australia. She was forced to resign when she married. After having a baby, she returned to the university to study law. Following her move to Adelaide Levy was admitted to the Bar, in 1945, and practised for 23 years. A member of the Lyceum Club Levy was a leader of the International Circle.

Sources used to compile this entry: Interview with Rose Winstanley (Winnie) Levy [sound recording] Interviewer: Yvonne Abbott, March 1987, SRG 438/29/19; Levy, Rose Winstanley (Winnie) (1900 - 1988); State Library of South Australia, Mortlock Library of South Australiana; Radio interview with Winstanley Levy [sound recording] Interviewer: Mary Rose Goggs, 8 April 1973, OH 561/32; Levy, Rose Winstanley (Winnie) (1900 - 1988); State Library of South Australia, Mortlock Library of South Australiana; http://www.catalog.slsa.sa.gov.au:1083/search/dLevy%2C+Rose+Winstanley%2C+1900-1988/dlevy+rose+winstanley+1900+1988/-5,-1,0,B/frameset&FF=dlevy+rose+winstanley+1900+1988&2,,2 accessed 2004-04-06.