Dawn Lawrie grew up in Melbourne, but travelled to Alice Springs in the 1950s and eventually settled in Darwin in December 1960, where she gained employment as a public servant. After her parliamentary career, she established a community newspaper with her husband, Palmerston and Northern Suburbs Herald, which lasted for two years from 1983-85. She became the first Regional Director for the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission, establishing the Darwin office, from 1986-88. She served as Administrator of the Cocos Keeling Islands from 1988-90. She became the first Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Commissioner.