Margaret Dunn and her 'everyday' cookery book: Mother was a good cook, too (1974)

Making a living as a professional writer has long been a challenge for many women writers in Australia. As Miles Franklin lamented almost a century ago “in Australia the writer has ceased to have any of that social notice or esteem which is kept for those who succeed in business or become conspicuous in sport” (1943: 31), and most women writers continue to struggle to gain any significant notice or esteem. This article uses Margaret Dunn’s popular, everyday cookbook, Mother’s Best Recipes (1974), to explore her life and career. It also offers information about taste, cookery and the publication of cookbooks in Australia at this time. It finishes by considering the concept of the portfolio career, and especially how this relates to women writers, both historical and current.