Miriam Dunn Papers

Miriam Dunn was born in Brisbane in 1888. Her father was Robert Dunn, head proof reader at the Courier Mail newspaper and her mother was Miriam Rhoda Pickering. The family lived at Upper Clifton Terrace, Red Hill, in the residence Weeroona. Miriam had two brothers, Robert and Douglas, who were both journalists, and two sisters, Lily and Nellie. The children attended the Kelvin Grove State School. Miriam worked for the Queensland Public Service, being appointed to the Audit Office in 1907. She also worked as a secretary in the Chief Secretary's Department and was promoted to record clerk in the same department in 1923. During and after World War I she was Honorary Secretary of the Public Service Patriotic Committee. Throughout her life she was involved in charitable and patriotic efforts in many Brisbane organisations. In February 1934 she was declared bankrupt through the financial failure of an amateur operatic society in which she was involved and which endeavoured to raise money for charity. In November 1934 she was given an unconditional discharge as the bankruptcy arose from circumstances for which she could not be held responsible. Miriam never married and lived in the family home at Red Hill until her death in 1969.