Identity area
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Munro, Donald
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
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Description area
Dates of existence
1927-2023
History
Donald James Munro, born on 8 October 1927 in Brisbane, was an academic, university administrator and a leading advocate for the performing arts in Queensland. He played a key role in establishing the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) and served as its Founding Chairman from 1978 to 1991. Educated at Brisbane State High School and the University of Queensland (B.Ed. 1950), Munro initially pursued a career in education before transitioning to arts administration. He held senior positions at the University of Queensland, including inaugural Director of the Institute of Modern Languages and later Deputy Registrar. He also managed Mayne Hall, a key performance venue. Deeply involved in the arts, he contributed to numerous cultural organisations, serving as President of the Queensland Branch of Music Viva (1973 to 1980), Vice-President of Twelfth Night Theatre, an advisor to the founding of the Queensland Ballet, and as one of the founders of the Brisbane Festival. A music and opera enthusiast, he wrote for major publications and broadcast regularly on the ABC. He played a crucial role in bringing world-class performances to Queensland, hosting renowned artists and ensembles at QPAC. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1985 for services to the performing arts. In 2010, he published an edited collection of the war diaries of his father, Edward Munro, titled Diaries of a stretcher bearer. His memoir, The music never stopped : a memoir of music, theatres and university life, was published in 2022. He died on 2 July 2023.
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Status
Revised
Level of detail
Full
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Revised, Kymberley Doyle, 18-Mar-2025.
Revised, FF, 18-Jun-2020.
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
Author entry, AustLit, accessed online 18-Jun-2020.
(2012) 'Donald Munro AM'. Clan Munro Australia: newsletter of the Clan Munro (Association) Australia 9 (2), accessed online 18-Jun-2020.
Internal evidence.
Maintenance notes
Revised with dates of existence, access point and expanded history, Kymberley Doyle, 18-Mar-2025.
Revised with authorized form of name, dates of existence, history, authority record identifier and sources, FF, 18-Jun-2020.