Leslie Holdsworth Allen was born on 21 June 1879 in Maryborough, Victoria, and studied English and Classical literature at Sydney University (BA 1904 and MA 1920). He completed his doctoral thesis at Leipzig University in 1907. After his return to Sydney he lectured part time at the university until an appointment in 1911 as Senior Lecturer in Classics and English at the Teachers' College. He was appointed Lecturer in English and Latin at Canberra University College in 1931 and in different periods lectured in English, Latin, Ancient History (1936) and Classics (1949-1960) at CUC; he was part-time Lecturer, Department of Classics, School of General Studies in 1961. Allen died on 5 January 1964 at Moruya, New South Wales.