The daughter of Australian war artist Alex Gurney (1902–1955) — the creator of the legendary Bluey and Curley cartoon — and Junee Gurney (1909–1984), née Grover, youngest daughter of the journalist Montague "Monty" MacGregor Grover (1870–1943),[1] and Ada Grover (1877–1928), née Goldberg,[2][3] Margaret Jane Gurney was born in Melbourne.
[5] Gurney was educated at: During her time as a student she won a number of prizes for her art, including: Gurney took the part of Concha Puerto, the major protagonist in The Women Have Their Way (an English version of the Quintero brothers' es:Puebla de las Mujeres), in MLC's (August 1959) annual school play.
[17] At Swinburne she had a number of leading roles in each of the college's first two student revues (each produced by Brian Robinson):[18][failed verification] In the Pink (1962),[19] and Get Well Soon (1963).
[citation needed] After completing her formal studies at Swinburne,[20] she worked at two small advertising agencies: as a Graphic Artist with Curtis Stevens and Charles Billich, Melbourne, in 1964, and in Advertising Marketing with George Santos, Melbourne, from 1964 to 1966.
[citation needed] Gurney has worked extensively as both an educator and as an administrator in community arts, and as a program manager in arts adult education[citation needed] long before the establishment of Creative Victoria in 2015.