Obituaries Australia

Mr. Benjamin Rees, who died recently at the age of 67, retired under the miners' pension scheme at the end of 1941, and returned to Wallsend from the South Maitland coalfield.

Born at Wallsend, he was the fifth son of Daniel Rees, one of the first Presidents of the Miners' Federation, and a brother of the General President of the federation, who was appointed to the Legislative Council. During the "Peter Bowling" strike in 1909-10, he and his brother, Daniel, were Wallsend lodge delegates on the Northern District Delegate Board, and was, with other federation leaders, imprisoned under the Wade Co-erecion Act.

Mr. Rees was Acting Treasurer of the Northern federation for some time. At Kurri Kurri he was Chairman of Richmond Main lodge and a lodge delegate to the Delegate Board. Later he was elected to the Central Council of the federation.

Mr Rees's wife died some years ago. He is survived by a brother, Mr John Rees of Wallsend, and two sisters, Mesdames A. Johns (Kurri Kurri) and A. E. Auckett (Sydney).