From Latin America to Braidwood via Narrabundah and from writer and editor to marriage celebrant, in Peg Job's life of variety her commitment to community has remained a constant. Graduating from the University of New South Wales in 1989 with a PhD in Latin American literature, Job was so struck by the kind welcome she received from her Narrabundah neighbours on her arrival in the suburb in 1990 she paid tribute to it in 'In Praise of Narrabundah', a short story in the 1992 collection Stories of the Inner South.[1]

Working to earn enough money during this period - as a columnist for the Canberra Times, a freelance reviewer and an adult-education coordinator - Peg Job's true needs were to read, think and write: 'A good book - which in my case is most commonly a novel - is a way of grappling with the meaning in life, with the essence of being human. What could be a more important responsibility for a thoughtful citizen than pursuing these questions?'.[2]

As a contributor to numerous Australian newspapers and magazines, she has published in a number of genres: literary criticism, human rights, travel writing, a novel The Dying, short stories, and has even tried her hand at poetry written in Spanish. Her love of literature and a move to Braidwood, 109 kilometres east of Canberra, was manifested in the opening of 'Peg's Books' on Monkittee Street in 1997. While 'Peg's Books' suffered an early demise due to the introduction of GST on books in 2000, Job's involvement with books and writing has continued.

As Editor with the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA) Peg Job currently produces their journal Dialogue and various Academy publications. The Academy is an autonomous, non-governmental organisation devoted to the advancement of knowledge and research in the social sciences.

Peg Job's commitment to social and community betterment is demonstrated by her endorsement of the Wellbeing Manifesto that takes as its starting point the belief that governments in Australia should be devoted to improving our individual and social wellbeing.

As an inhabitant of Braidwood, a township which has been classified by the National Trust in its entirety, Peg Job is well able to exercise her passion for creating inclusive and active communities. Activities such as belonging to the a capella group Madrigala, and acting as a qualified civil marriage celebrant enable her to embrace the communion of life and love in a rural township.

This entry was prepared by Roslyn Russell, Museum Services, and funded by the ACT Heritage Unit.

Sources used to compile this entry: [1] Peg Job, 'In Praise of Narrabundah', in Annie Bolitho and Mary Hutchison (eds), Stories of the Inner South, Arts Council of the ACT, 1992; [2] Peg Job, 'Books to grapple with life's meaning', The Canberra Times, 7 June 1992, p.18; www.assa.edu.au (The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia website).