AustLit

Lucy Frances Harvey Waugh was the daughter of James Harvey Waugh and Jeanette Waugh (nee Johnston). She married Wilfred Benjamin Rees in 1925, and they had three sons, John, Paul and Lauron.

Lu Rees was employed by Colonel J.L. Treloar from 1931, then by the War Memorial Board from 1938 until 1955. In that year she was appointed Manager of the Canberra Branch of F.W. Cheshire, the bookseller and publisher, a position she kept until her retirement in 1968.

From 1950-1975 Lu Rees was the Secretary of the Canberra Fellowship of Australian Writers, and was a Life Member of the Fellowship. During her time as Secretary she initiated the publication of Australian Writers, Australian Signpost and Span, and later assisted with Australian Voices. In 1957 she became the first President of the ACT Branch of the Children's Book Council, and later a Life Member of the Council. She was the author of its history, The Children's Book Council of Canberra, and of various lists of Australian children's books.

Lu Rees was awarded an M.B.E in 1964 for her services to literature, and created a Member of the Order of Australia (A.M.) for services to Australian children's literature in January 1983. In February 1983, she was posthumously awarded the Dromkeen Medal for services to children's literature.

(Adapted with permission from the Lu Rees Archive website: http://www.canberra.edu.au/lurees/about/history sighted 12/12/2006 )