John Keith Dunstan (3 February 1925 – 11 September 2013), known as Keith Dunstan, was an Australian journalist and author. He was a prolific writer and the author of more than 25 books.

Early life

Dunstan was born in

East Malvern Malvern East is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 13 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Stonnington local government area. Malvern East recorded a population of 22,296 at the 202 ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, the son of journalist and

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

recipient,

William Dunstan William Dunstan, VC (2 March 1895 – 8 March 1957) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces. Bi ...

, and his wife Marjorie. He attended

Melbourne Grammar School (Pray and Work) , established = 1849 (on present site since 1858 - the celebrated date of foundation) , type = Independent, co-educational primary, single-sex boys secondary, day and boarding , denominatio ...

and

Geelong Grammar School , motto_translation = 1 Corinthians 1:30: "For us, Christ was made wisdom"(1 Corinthians 1:30: Christ, who has been made for us in wisdom) , city = Corio, Victoria , country = Australia , coordinates = , ty ...

and was a

flight lieutenant Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth countries. It has a NATO rank code of OF-2. Flight lieutenant is abbreviated as Flt Lt in the India ...

in the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

from 1943 to 1946, stationed at

Labuan Labuan (), officially the Federal Territory of Labuan ( ms, Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan), is a Federal Territory of Malaysia. Its territory includes and six smaller islands, off the coast of the state of Sabah in East Malaysia. Labuan's capit ...

in the Pacific.

Journalism

In 1946 Dunstan joined

The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd The Herald and Weekly Times Pty Ltd (HWT) is a newspaper publishing company based in Melbourne, Australia. It is owned and operated by News Pty Ltd, which as News Ltd, purchased the HWT in 1987. Newspapers The HWT's newspaper interests date b ...

, publishers of ''

The Sun News-Pictorial ''The Sun News-Pictorial'' (known as ''The Sun'') was a morning daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, from 1922 until its merger in 1990 with ''The Herald (Melbourne), The H ...

'' and '' The Herald'' (since merged as the ''

Herald Sun The ''Herald Sun'' is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia, published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Corp Australia, itself a subsidiary of the Murdoch owned News Corp. The ''Herald S ...

''). He was Foreign Correspondent for the H&WT with posts in New York (1949–52) and London (1952–54). This period was followed by a position with ''

The Courier-Mail ''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, ...

'' for which he wrote a column "Day by Day". He returned to Melbourne and from 1958 to 1978 contributed a daily column, "A Place in the Sun" for ''The Sun News-Pictorial'', the city's largest circulating daily newspaper. During these years his popularity grew and he became a Melbourne institution. From 1962 he wrote regularly for the Sydney-based weekly magazine '' The Bulletin'' under the pseudonym of Batman (after the city's controversial founder,

John Batman John Batman (21 January 18016 May 1839) was an Australian grazier, entrepreneur and explorer. He is best known for his role in the founding of Melbourne. Born and raised in the then-British colony of New South Wales, Batman settled in Van Die ...

) and for the travel magazine ''

Walkabout Walkabout is a rite of passage in Australian Aboriginal society, during which males undergo a journey during adolescence, typically ages 10 to 16, and live in the wilderness for a period as long as six months to make the spiritual and traditiona ...

''. In 1976 and 1977 he was president of the

Melbourne Press Club The Melbourne Press Club, commonly referred to as MPC, is a not-for-profit association of journalists in the city of Melbourne, Australia. The Melbourne Press Club provides awards in the State of Victoria for outstanding journalism, presenting th ...

, succeeding

Rohan Rivett Rohan Deakin Rivett (16 January 1917 – 5 October 1977) was an Australian journalist and author, and influential editor of the Adelaide newspaper '' The News'' from 1951 to 1960. He is chiefly remembered for accounts of his experiences on the Bu ...

. He was the United States West Coast Correspondent (1979–82) for the Herald and Weekly Times. Later, he was a regular columnist and occasional contributor to ''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

'' newspaper.

Author

He published a quartet of books on Australian character: ''Wowsers'' (1968), ''Knockers'' (1972), ''Sports'' (1973) and ''Ratbags'' (1979) and many works of history on popular subjects ranging from wine to sport to retailing, and including an unfashionably critical study of the Australian outlaw

Ned Kelly Edward Kelly (December 1854 – 11 November 1880) was an Australian bushranger, outlaw, gang leader and convicted police-murderer. One of the last bushrangers, he is known for wearing a suit of bulletproof armour during his final shootout wi ...

, ''Saint Ned'' (1980). His pioneering works of Australian sports history included ''The Paddock That Grew'' (1962) on the

Melbourne Cricket Ground The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as "The 'G", is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadiu ...

, which has now seen several editions and updates. He also wrote an autobiography, ''No Brains at All'' (1990). Other publications included ''The Melbourne I Remember'' (2004) and ''Moonee Ponds to Broadway'' (2006), a study of his friend and fellow Melburnian, the satirist

Barry Humphries John Barry Humphries (born 17 February 1934) is an Australian comedian, actor, author and satirist. He is best known for writing and playing his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson. He is also a film prod ...

Other activities

In 1967 he became founding secretary of the

Anti-Football League The Anti-Football League is an Australian organisation that pokes fun at the obsession with Australian rules football. It was founded by Melbourne journalist Keith Dunstan in 1967. Origins The Anti-Football League was created in response to a ...

, a tongue-in-cheek organisation that pokes fun at the

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

obsession. An enthusiastic commuter and recreational cyclist, he was the first president of the ''Bicycle Institute of Victoria'' (now known as

Bicycle Network Bicycle Network is an Australian charity, one of the largest cycling membership organisations in the world (45,000 members, 2015), whose mission is to have ''More People Cycling More Often.'' Before 2011 it was known as ''Bicycle Victoria''. B ...

) from its founding in 1974 to 1978. He was a

bicycle touring Bicycle touring is the taking of self-contained cycling trips for pleasure, adventure or autonomy rather than sport, commuting or exercise. Bicycle touring can range from single-day trips to extended travels spanning weeks or months. Tours may be ...

enthusiast who with his wife Marie cycled across the United States in the 1970s and through China in the 1980s. Whilst living on Victoria's

Mornington Peninsula The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to the mainland in the north. Geogra ...

he was an enthusiastic grower and maker of

pinot noir Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words for ''pine'' and ''black.' ...

wine.

Honours and awards

In the

2002 Australia Day Honours The 2002 Australia Day Honours are appointments to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by Australian citizens. The list was announced on 26 January 2002 by the Governor General of Australia, Peter Hollingworth. The Austr ...

, Dunstan was awarded a

Medal of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

(OAM) "for service as a journalist and author, and to the community, particularly as a supporter of the Berry Street Babies Home". On 26 May 2009, he became Patron of the

Prahran Mechanics' Institute PMI Victorian History Library Inc. (Formerly Prahran Mechanics' Institute) is a community-owned subscription library situated at 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, Victoria, Australia. The library focuses on collecting resources about every locality i ...

. On 11 October 2013, Dunstan was posthumously inducted into the

's Victorian Media Hall of Fame. He was told of his forthcoming induction before his death."Rupert Murdoch, Keith Dunstan hailed as pioneers of journalism"
''Herald Sun'', 11 October 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013.

Personal life

He was married to Marie, and they had four children. Dunstan died of cancer on 11 September 2013.
''The Age'', 11 September 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013. Dunstan's son,

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

, reported that his father had written his own, self-effacing, obituary."Columnist Keith Dunstan dies of cancer aged 88"
''ABC website', 13 September 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013.

Books

* ''1853-2003, Victoria Police Australia : celebrating 150 years in the community'', foreword by Christine Nixon; introduction; editor, Marilyn Miller Melbourne : Victoria Police, 2003 * ''A cricket dictionary''; illustrated by

Jeff Hook Geoffrey Raynor Hook (27 December 1928 – 20 July 2018) was an Australians, Australian artist and editorial cartoonist. Hook was married to Pauline from 1961 and had five children. Career After attending St Virgil's College, Hobart, Hook sta ...

, c. 1983 * ''A Day in the life of Australia : the complete collection of his Age column'', ompiled bySouth Melbourne : Macmillan Australia, 1989 * ''Above Australia : a salute to our cities'', photography by Leo Meier; text ...

t al. T, or t, is the twentieth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is deri ...

by Meier, Leo, 1951- McMahons Point, N.S.W. : Weldons, 1985 * ''Batman in the Bulletin : the Melbourne I remember''; with a foreword by Barry Humphries; selected and edited by David Dunstan Melbourne : Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2004 * ''Bowls - the lawn bowls dictionary''; illustrated by

South Melbourne : Sun Books, 1986 * ''Bundy : a centenary history'', : Bundaberg Distilling Company Pty. Ltd., (1988) * ''Collins : the story of Australia's premier street'', Judith Raphael Buckrich; with Keith Dunstan, Rohan Storey & Marc Strizic by Buckrich, Judith Raphael, 1950- Melbourne : Australian Scholarly Publishing, c2005 * ''Flag, the first 30 years : the growth and experiences of the hospitality industry in Australasia'', South Melbourne : Flag International, 1991 * ''Footy, an Aussie rules dictionary''; illustrated by

Melbourne : Sun Books, 1983 * ''Gurney & Bluey & Curley : Alex Gurney and his greatest cartoons'', John Gurney with by Gurney, Alex, 1902-1955 South Melbourne : Macmillan Company of Australia, 1986 * ''Health and fitness : the dictionary''; illustrated by

South Melbourne : Sun Books, 1985 * ''Hook, line and sinker : the dictionary''; illustrated by

South Melbourne : Sun Books, 1986 * ''Informed sources : a history of the Melbourne Press Club 1971-2001'', elbourne: Melbourne Press Club, 2001 * ''It's all up hill'', and Jeff Melbourne : Pegasus Books, 1979 * ''Just Jeans : the story 1970-1995'', Kew, Vic. : Australian Scholarly Pub., 1995 * ''Kiwi : the Australian brand that brought a shine to the world : a history of the Kiwi Polish Company''; about this book, Hamish Ramsey; oreword byGeoffrey... Crows Nest NSW : Allen & Unwin, 2017 * ''Knockers'', North Melbourne, Vic. : Cassell, 1972 * ''Make friends for Australia'', Melbourne : Australian Tourist Commission, 979?* ''Moomba, the first 25 years'', Melbourne : Sun News-Pictorial and Melbourne Moomba Festival, 1979 * ''Moonee Ponds to Broadway'', elbourne, Vic.: Australian Postal Corporation, 2006 * ''My life with the demon'', Melbourne : Wilkinson Books, 1994 * ''No brains at all : an autobiography'', Ringwood, Vic. : Viking, 1990 * ''No brains on Tuesday : the collected wit & wisdom of Keith Dunstan'', Melbourne : Schwartz & Wilkinson, c1991 * ''Not a bad drop - Brown Brothers'', Kew, Vic. : Australian Scholarly Publishing, 1999 * ''Racing : the horse-racing dictionary''; illustrated by

Melbourne : Sun Books, 1985 * ''Ratbags''; foreword by

Sydney : Golden Press, 1979 * ''Saint Ned : the story of the near sanctification of an Australian outlaw'', Sydney : Methuen Australia, 1980 * ''Skiing, the skiing dictionary''; illustrated by

South Melbourne : Sun Books, 1987 * ''Sports'', with a foreword by Max Harris, Melbourne : Sun Books * ''Supporting a column'' Melbourne, London, Cassell, 1966 * ''Tennis : a tennis dictionary''; illustrated by

South Melbourne : Sun Books, 1984 * ''The amber nectar : a celebration of beer and brewing in Australia'', Ringwood, Vic. : Viking O'Neil, 1987 * ''The Australian uppercrust book'', ... nd others Edited by Geoffrey Dutton and Lee White South Melbourne : Sun Books, 1971 * ''The confessions of a bicycle nut'', Melbourne : Information Australia, 1999 * ''The paddock that grew : the story of the Melbourne Cricket Club''; research by Hugh Field London : Cassell, 1962 * ''The people's ground : the MCG'', Kew, Vic. : Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2000 * ''The perfect cup : the story of coffee'', Keith Dunstan, Sue Fairlie-Cuninghame Balmain, N.S.W. : David Ell Press for Andronicus, 1989 * ''The store on the hill'', Melbourne : Macmillan, 1979 * ''The tapestry story : celebrating 150 years of the Melbourne cricket ground'', written; illustrations by Robert Ingpen South Melbourne : Lothian Books, 2003 * ''Two old geezers tell you about bridge, the A-Z'', Keith Dunstan, Geoff Hook Melbourne : Wilkinson Publishing, 2011 * ''Wine, the wine dictionary''; illustrated by

Melbourne : Sun Books, 1985 * ''Wowsers; being an account of the prudery exhibited by certain outstanding men and women in such matters as drinking, smoking, prostitution, censorship and gambling'', Melbourne : Cassell Australia, 1968

References

External links

Keith Dunstan articles
at The National Times {{DEFAULTSORT:Dunstan, Keith 1925 births 2013 deaths Australian columnists Australian humorists Australian memoirists Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II Deaths from cancer in Victoria (Australia) Journalists from Melbourne People educated at Geelong Grammar School Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia Royal Australian Air Force officers People from Malvern, Victoria People educated at Melbourne Grammar School Military personnel from Melbourne