Thomas Firmin McKinnon was born on 9 June 1878 at Yass Plain, New South Wales. Joined the Brisbane Telegraph around 1907. He married Emma Louise Powell, also a journalist with the Brisbane Telegraph. He died on 11 March 1953 at his home at Highgate Hill, Brisbane.

Jeremiah Joseph Stable was born on 14 May 1883 at Gawler, South Australia. He was educated in Switzerland and Cambridge. In 1912 he took a position as lecturer in English, French and German at the University of Queensland. He undertook intelligence duties on the district censor's staff in World War One. Appointed in 1922 to the McCaughey chair (later Darnell chair) of English language and literature at the University of Queensland. In 1923 he encouraged FW Robinson to teach Australian literature, a first for any Australian university. His achievements included: President of the Queensland Authors' and Artists' Association, President of the English and Modern Languages Association of Queensland, co-founder of the Brisbane Repertory Theatre Society, one of the first trustees of the re-constituted Queensland National Art Gallery, a foundation member of the Queensland Historical Society, contributed articles of literary criticism to the Brisbane Courier, served in World War Two, member of the University of Queensland Senate, and on his retirement in 1952 became the university's second Professor Emeritus. He died on 24 December 1953.