Irina Dunn
Encyclopedia
Patricia Irene Dunn (born 1948) is an Australian writer who served in the Australian Senate
between 1988 and 1990.
, China around the time of the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War
, and her family, associated with Chiang Kai-Shek
, fled to Hong Kong
. They later emigrated to Australia, where Dunn attended school and was naturalised as an Australian citizen in the 1970s. After graduating in Arts from the University of Sydney
, Dunn held several jobs, including as an editor at Pergamon Press
. It was here that Dunn first drew publicity for activism. Dunn complained to a recruitment firm about sexism in their advertisements, however her attachment of her business card to the letter got her fired, an action which became front page news in Sydney. She was later partly reinstated.
In the early 1980s she married Brett Collins, a convicted bank robber turned prison activist, whom she met through her work editing a prison magazine. They separated within a few years and subsequently divorced. Throughout this period Dunn was engaged with political and social issues.
. Their eventual release (Anderson was in fact jailed again, before having his sentence quashed a second time in the early 1990s) was something Dunn regarded as her most significant achievement.
Dunn was Senator for New South Wales first representing the Nuclear Disarmament Party
(NDP), then as an independent. She became a Senator in unusual circumstances, when Robert Wood was disqualified under section 44 of the constitution from holding the seat he had won in the 1987 general election. The High Court of Australia
sitting as the Court of Disputed Returns
found that a recount of the NSW Senate ballots could occur and Dunn, who had been the second person on the NDP's New South Wales Senate ticket, was elected. The NDP asked her to resign her seat to allow Wood to take it up once he had taken up Australian citizenship, but Dunn refused, leading to her expulsion from the NDP, after which she sat in parliament as an independent. She was a Senator from 21 July 1988 until 30 June 1990, being defeated in the 1990 election. During her time in office Dunn was active on one of the Australian Senate committees
: Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. She was responsible for an extensive minority report to that committee's report Visits to Australia by Nuclear Powered or Armed Vessels.
Dunn also stood for the Balmain/Rozelle Ward of Leichhardt Council in 1999 on the "Community Independents" ticket but was unsuccessful.
Dunn coined the famous catch phrase
: "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle" that was subsequently popularized by Gloria Steinem
and later U2
in their song Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
.
Irina Dunn was the Executive Director of the New South Wales Writers' Centre
from December 1992. She resigned in 2008. Her experience in that role led her to write The Writer's Guide: A companion to writing for pleasure or publication.
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
between 1988 and 1990.
Background
Dunn was born in ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China around the time of the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
, and her family, associated with Chiang Kai-Shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
, fled to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. They later emigrated to Australia, where Dunn attended school and was naturalised as an Australian citizen in the 1970s. After graduating in Arts from the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, Dunn held several jobs, including as an editor at Pergamon Press
Pergamon Press
Pergamon Press was an Oxford-based publishing house, founded by Paul Rosbaud and Robert Maxwell, which published scientific and medical books and journals. It is now an imprint of Elsevier....
. It was here that Dunn first drew publicity for activism. Dunn complained to a recruitment firm about sexism in their advertisements, however her attachment of her business card to the letter got her fired, an action which became front page news in Sydney. She was later partly reinstated.
In the early 1980s she married Brett Collins, a convicted bank robber turned prison activist, whom she met through her work editing a prison magazine. They separated within a few years and subsequently divorced. Throughout this period Dunn was engaged with political and social issues.
Dunn and politics
Dunn was an activist through the 1970s and 1980s, and was particularly involved in the campaign to free from jail three men—Tim Anderson, Ross Dunn and Paul Alister—implicated in the Hilton BombingHilton bombing
Hilton bombing may refer to:*London Hilton bombing*Sydney Hilton bombing...
. Their eventual release (Anderson was in fact jailed again, before having his sentence quashed a second time in the early 1990s) was something Dunn regarded as her most significant achievement.
Dunn was Senator for New South Wales first representing the Nuclear Disarmament Party
Nuclear Disarmament Party
The Nuclear Disarmament Party was a political party in Australia. The party was formed in 1984 and enjoyed considerable initial success.-Foundation, the 1984 election, and the split:...
(NDP), then as an independent. She became a Senator in unusual circumstances, when Robert Wood was disqualified under section 44 of the constitution from holding the seat he had won in the 1987 general election. The High Court of Australia
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
sitting as the Court of Disputed Returns
Court of Disputed Returns (Australia)
The Court of Disputed Returns in Australia is a jurisdiction established by Part XXII of the Commonwealth Electoral Act. The jurisdiction is exercised by the High Court of Australia, which can refer cases to the Federal Court...
found that a recount of the NSW Senate ballots could occur and Dunn, who had been the second person on the NDP's New South Wales Senate ticket, was elected. The NDP asked her to resign her seat to allow Wood to take it up once he had taken up Australian citizenship, but Dunn refused, leading to her expulsion from the NDP, after which she sat in parliament as an independent. She was a Senator from 21 July 1988 until 30 June 1990, being defeated in the 1990 election. During her time in office Dunn was active on one of the Australian Senate committees
Australian Senate committees
This article is about committees of the Senate. For consideration of bills 'in committee', see Committee of the WholeThe committees of the Australian Senate are committees of Senators, established by the Australian Senate, for purposes determined by that body...
: Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. She was responsible for an extensive minority report to that committee's report Visits to Australia by Nuclear Powered or Armed Vessels.
Dunn also stood for the Balmain/Rozelle Ward of Leichhardt Council in 1999 on the "Community Independents" ticket but was unsuccessful.
Dunn as writer and film maker
Dunn was co-author of A Natural Legacy: Ecology in Australia, an early textbook on the Australian environment. Dunn has worked as an editor and made documentary films, including Frame-Up and Fighting for Peace (see bibliography).Dunn coined the famous catch phrase
Catch phrase
A catchphrase is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through a variety of mass media , as well as word of mouth...
: "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle" that was subsequently popularized by Gloria Steinem
Gloria Steinem
Gloria Marie Steinem is an American feminist, journalist, and social and political activist who became nationally recognized as a leader of, and media spokeswoman for, the women's liberation movement in the late 1960s and 1970s...
and later U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
in their song Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
"Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World" is the ninth track from U2's 1991 album, Achtung Baby. It is a tongue in cheek song about stumbling home drunk from a night out on the town. It is dedicated to the Flaming Colossus nightclub in Los Angeles...
.
Irina Dunn was the Executive Director of the New South Wales Writers' Centre
New South Wales Writers' Centre
The New South Wales Writers' Centre is an association established in Sydney in May 1991 to promote writing-based culture and the rights and interests of writers. Together with Varuna - The Writers' House and the Sydney Writers' Festival, the NSW Writers' Centre is the main support organisation for...
from December 1992. She resigned in 2008. Her experience in that role led her to write The Writer's Guide: A companion to writing for pleasure or publication.
