Bernie Rees Life Membership BY GRACIETE FERREIRA
At the 2017 MBA Annual Dinner I was privileged to be given the task of awarding Bernie Rees with Life Membership of the Master Builders ACT. This is Bernie’s story… Bernie Rees commenced his carpentry apprenticeship as a 15-year-old with George Grant and Sons in 1951. George Grant and Sons were a Sydney-based company and they were working on projects at the ANU. After leaving George Grant & Sons after about two years, Bernie commenced working for the Government on various projects in Reid and then onto the Government workshop in Kingston doing office maintenance projects. After leaving his employment with the Government, Bernie joined Shell and Rankine for about three years. He commenced building his first home in Canberra in 1957, his own family home in Hemmant Street, O’Connor. In 1960, Bernie began his long and successful career working for himself having established his own home building business after having attained his first builders licence as a 20-year-old in 1956.
It is estimated that Bernie has built in excess of 200 homes in the ACT and region in addition to renovations and extensions. Bernie joined the Builders Traders Co-operative within the first 12 months of its establishment and helped purchase the land in Fyshwick on where it sits today. He subsequently served on the Board of the Builders Traders Co-op for over 30 years, including a period as chairman. Utilising his high quality and highly regarded skills as a builder, Bernie has participated in the building of many community projects through his long-standing membership of Rotary. He was awarded a Paul Harris fellowship for his service to Rotary. Bernie, at the spritely young age of 80, has decided that it’s time to down tools on a more permanent basis. Having wound up his business he has reluctantly had to cease his much valued and appreciated membership of MBA-ACT after more than 50 years. Congratulations Bernie and we look forward to having you back in 2018 to judge the MBA Awards.
Bernie began a long and rewarding membership with the Master Builders Association in 1965, a relationship which he has thoroughly enjoyed over the years. He has spent many years involved in judging the Association’s prestigious awards and mentoring young industry participants. Bernie has employed numerous apprentices over the years including his own son, Geoffrey who also established his own building business and has also served as a judge on the MBA awards. Geoffrey’s business also received awards for building excellence as did other recent MBA award recipients who were apprenticed to Bernie including Guy Gleeson and Matthew Kennedy.
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MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 4 2017
CONGRATULATIONS BERNIE AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU BACK IN 2018 TO JUDGE THE MBA AWARDS.
