 Ada was the sixth surviving child in a family of twelve children.Crossley's singing in the country met with so much appreciation that she was sent to Melbourne to be trained, where Sir Frederic Cowen, (who had come from London to conduct the orchestra at the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1888–9), heard her sing and gave her advice.She studied under Madame Fanny Simonsen for singing, and under Alberto Zelman the elder for piano and harmony.