Herbie Dunn was the third son of Andrew Dunn (q.v.) who founded a chain of provincial Queensland newspapers, and the younger brother of Andrew Dunn (Jr.) (q.v.) who edited The Morning Bulletin in Rockhampton.

Born in 1883, Dunn was educated at Maryborough Grammar School and joined the literary staff of The Maryborough Chronicle in 1901. After working at The Brisbane Courier and The Bundaberg Mail, he served as chief-of-staff at The Morning Bulletin. As his family acquired further newspapers, Dunn served as managing editor of The Warwick Argus and The Warwick Daily News, then of The Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs Gazette, a position he held for 29 years.

Continuing the family tradition, Dunn succeeded his elder brother, Andrew, as Chairman of Directors of Toowoomba Newspaper Co. Pty. Ltd. In turn, his own son, Rowland James Dunn, became managing director.

Source: Rod Kirkpatrick. Sworn to No Master (1984).