Merlyn Myer

Dame Margery Merlyn Myer DBE (née Baillieu; 8 January 1900 – 3 September 1982) was an Australian philanthropist, who was notable for her charitable work.

[2] On her 20th birthday, 8 January 1920, she married Melbourne retail businessman Sidney Myer; she was his second wife.

Her husband, who was originally named Simcha Baevski, arrived in Australia as a penniless Russian immigrant in 1899.

The couple had four children: Ken, Neilma, Baillieu, and Marigold, all of whom were born in San Francisco, California, United States.

The family returned to Australia in 1929, where Sidney Myer died in 1934, leaving Merlyn a 34-year-old widow with four young children.