He studied Law for a time before abandoning it for the London stage, first playing Shakespeare, and was noticed by Charles Kean, then low comedy with David Webster Osbaldiston (1794–1850), when he came under the influence of Thomas D. Rice, whose eccentric Jim Crow routine had become hugely popular.
He tried to repeat his success in England and America playing Jim Crow routines,[3] but failed to enthuse Australian audiences, so was abandoned.
[7] He collapsed while walking along Lygon Street on his way to the Melbourne Opera House where he was due to appear in The Fool of the Family.
His funeral was unusual: a service was conducted at the Melbourne General Cemetery by a Roman Catholic priest, as that was his faith, but his remains were buried in the Anglican section, the denomination to which his wife and family belonged.
The pall-bearers were his son Arthur Dunn and son-in-law Marcus Clarke, along with H. G. Turner of the Commercial Bank, Chapman, the music publisher, and theatre identities Richard Stewart, John Hennings, Stuart O'Brien, Henry Harwood, Samuel Lazar, James Williamson, Wheatleigh[7] and Greville.