LAWLER, Donald Blair (1930-2023) Don Lawler, journalist, has led an extensive and colourful working career in the newspaper industry and government, both in Australia and overseas.
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'Don' Lawler (Rowing, 1949).
'Don' first found his interest in journalism as the editor of the Geelong College student newspaper
Chez Nous which, in it's second series, was published at College during the late 1940s. At the time, some teaching staff regarded the newspaper as a cheeky and scurrilous publication. 'Don' completed his schooling at College and left to begin training as a reporter with
The Geelong Advertiser. He later worked in Melbourne on
The Sun newspaper , including five years chasing ambulances, fires, crime and air crashes on Police Rounds. He then moved to
The Age, also in Melbourne, as a sub editor. In 1960, he moved to Canberra to join RAAF Public Relations, then to the Department of Immigration with postings to Australia House, London, Scandinavia, and several times to Holland with responsibilities in France, Belgium, Yugoslavia, Turkey and U.S.A.
'Don' Lawler, c1949
'Don' was a long-serving president of the Australian Journalists Association (AJA) in Canberra, receiving a gold honour award for meritorious service in 1981. He was with the Department of Media until moving to the Federal Government’s counter-terrorist and VIP protection organisation known as PSCC. He pursued his interest in politics by taking secondment to the National Media Liaison Service before eventually retiring and moving to Geelong. He ‘retired’ again in 2010 by moving to live at the Bay of Islands, New Zealand.
'Don' attended the College as a boarder from September 1940 until 1949 with his brother, George, after escaping the worst of the Blitz in England where he had attended the short-lived Preparatory School of St Edward the Confessor at Foxhunt Manor in Waldron, Sussex. They were the first of five Lawler brothers to board at the school and were followed by six of their children over some 20 years.
An enthusiastic bush walker, Don, with David New and Neville Leith were the College Exploration Society group who 'found' Victoria's then mysterious Lake Tarli Karng in 1948. With College parties Don also explored Wilsons Promontory and was a member of the first successful Federation Peak climbing expedition of 1949.
At College, Don was a Lieutenant in the Cadet Corps, a Senior House Prefect and House vice-captain, and rowed in the sixth position in the 1948 and 1949 First Rowing VIIIs. In 1949, he was Captain of Boats. His brother, George rowed with him in the 1949 crew. More recently, Don has been a strong supporter and committee member of the OGCA and was an early member of the commissioning committee to publish
'The way to the Stars: 150 Years of The Geelong College' in 2011.
Don passed away 25 October 2023, aged 93 years. He is survived by his wife Valda and children Peter (OGC 1969) and Kerri.
Ad Astra tribute December 2023Courtesy P TaylorWith the recent passing of Don Lawler at the age of 93, The Geelong College has sadly lost one of its greatest supporters and advocates from that era. Don Lived a rich and fulfilling life, one that was shaped from the very beginning by his education at The Geelong College. One of 5 Lawler brothers, (George OGC 1946, Wally OGC 1951, Tony OGC 1954, and Rob OGC 1959) Don boarded at the College between the years of 1940-1949. Those 9 years proved pivotal to Don leading a life that was full of exploration, travel, work and experiencing life in a wide variety of countries around the world. His interest in Journalism was formed very early on at the College where he was one of the first editors of the school newspaper ‘Chez Nous’.
Don was never afraid to use editorial licence in search of a good story, and more than once raised the eyebrows of staff who preferred the motto of ‘seen but not heard’. Don never was an advocate for sitting quiet! It was also in this time just after the end of WW2 that Don joined The Geelong College Exploration Society. It was here that his lifelong love of the outdoors and travel began. At the age of 17 he thought nothing of riding his pushbike with a few mates to Adelaide and see the sights or embark on a train to Heyfield, and head north with a few others in search of what was at that time a lake that few had seen- to be named Lake Tarli Karng. Navigation was by compass, and often maps they made themselves.
Arguably Don’s most famous involvement was to Federation Peak in Tasmania in 1949. 12 days of hiking through some of the toughest bush in Australia saw four of the group become the first ever to climb to the top of what still is one of Australia’s toughest mountains to ascend. The reality for Don, John Varley and Bill Huffam was however that they never got to make the final ascent given the failing light conditions. Don also took part in the 1952 expedition to discover and explore deep underground caves across the Nullabor Plains. Each trip was filled with adventure from dawn to dusk, real experiential learning before the term existed.
Whilst at College, Don was heavily involved in the Cadets as a Lieutenant as well as rowing in the 1st VIII in 1948 and 1949. In later years, Don assisted the reinvigorated Exploration society as support driver to places like the Gammon ranges, Bibbulmun Track and Larapinta Trail. Don’s working life was also extensive, serving his country in overseas postings for many years. Don’s appetite for understanding the mechanisms of society was endless. His understanding of the many nuances of humanity were enlightening. In recent times his phone calls were prefaced with one question- ‘How are things at the College?’ Things are going well Don….. Gentleman, Scholar, and a Man of his word.
- Vale Don Lawler. RIP.
Sources: Don Lawler, 2014. OGC 1945.