Vale Lawrie Rees

Lawrie Rees died early Saturday morning, 7th. March, 2009, after a four year battle with cancer. He was 78. Lawrie migrated to Australia from Great Britain in 1948 at the age of 18, and graduated in Architecture at Adelaide University. He was State President of SSAA-SA in 1996 at the time of John Howard's gun laws. He travelled South Australia holding meetings in numerous towns, and in Adelaide, where 8000 people protested against the new laws. He began his shooting career at the Whyalla Branch of the Sporting Shooters' Association before retiring and moving to Stirling in the Adelaide Hills. He was elected State President in 1995; the following year, 1996, was one that took an enormous toll on him. He was the driving force behind the 1996 'One Million Dear John Letters Campaign' in S.A. Lawrie proudly represented Australia at Muzzle Loading World Championships and won the medals to prove it.

In his other life, he conducted a successful architecture practice at Whyalla. Buildings that he designed were erected throughout the State of South Australia, and many still have a modern look and feel about them. He designed and oversaw the erection of the first tilt-up concrete building in the Southern Hemisphere, the Whyalla Squash Courts ─ an achievement that was widely reported at the time, both in Australia and overseas. Lawrie was involved with Country Arts SA and the Middleback Theatre in Whyalla. He was widely read and highly respected. He gave the lie to the 'illiterate redneck' stereotype propounded by anti-gun lobbyists.

One of his final duties, completed at the time of the Muzzle-Loading World Championships at SSAA-SA's Monarto State Range in 2008, was the rewriting of the MLAIC (Muzzle Loaders Associations International Committee) Constitution.  He was also the author of the SSAA-SA state constitution and the SSAA-SA's Whyalla Branch constitution. He founded the model yacht racing club at Stirling in the Adelaide Hills after his retirement, and also wrote that club's constitution. 

He leaves his wife, Brenda, and three daughters and a son - and numerous grand children and great grand children.  The shooting sports have lost a passionate defender and muzzle-loading a fierce competitor. He will be greatly missed.

His funeral was held on Thursday, 11/3/2009, at Centennial Park Cemetery, Adelaide.

- Terry Sotos.