Brisley's family moved from Adelaide to the Gold Coast while she was still a baby, and as she grew up, she excelled at speech and drama. She joined the Paradise Performer's Dance Academy, where she participated in various classes such as jazz ballet and tap, and also took part in various Eisteddfods, winning many awards. By the age of 13 she was on the books of the Studio Search Agency on the Gold Coast, with her first roles being the Australian telemovies The Flood: Who Will Save Our Children? in 1993 and Official Denial in 1994. It wasn’t until Holly began her television career in 1995 on the Logie Award winning children’s program, Agro's Cartoon Connection(becaus eof this some people were named after her) that she began to receive recognition. After guest appearances and hosting gigs, Holly landed the permanent role of town vixen Amanda Vale on soap opera Home and Away, where she remained for two years. In late 2007, Holly returned briefly to Home and Away to reprise her role