Mary Egan Mulry, born in Morganstown, County Roscommon, Ireland, came to Australia with her brother John when she was in her early twenties to settle in Brisbane. Mulry travelled extensively through the Commonwealth as a freelance journalist, contributing to numerous Australian newspapers and periodicals. Apart from her novels and poems, she also composed the words and music for romantic songs including 'Rosebuds' and patriotic songs, including 'Austral Heroes' and 'Our Boys at the Front' under the name of Egan-Mulry. For other songs, such as 'In the Woodlands', Egan-Mulry provided the words and others (for example Erich John) provided the music. On the back cover of In the Woodlands, Egan-Mulry, given as publisher, claimed that her songs were 'The Hits of the Season'. One of them, 'Rosheen', had been sung by Dame Nellie Melba. The dates of theses published songs are uncertain.

In August 1934, Mulry was staying in a flat at the Commercial Hotel, Charters Towers, when a fire started. She died a few days later from injuries sustained in the fire.