December 31, 2012
A funeral service will be held on Friday (January 4) for former Kingaroy Shire councillor Ian Wren who died on Christmas Day.
Cr Wren served two terms on council, from 1991-94 and 1994-97.
He also had a very distinguished army career, raising to the rank of Major in the Regular Army before being appointed on retirement as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Reserves.
He served in New Guinea and New Britain during World War II and was sent to Japan as part of the Occupation Forces.
During the Korean War, he was wounded by mortar fire while serving with 3rd Battalion RAR.
On his return to Australia, the then-Captain Wren spent time with the Defence Forces in Sydney, Woomera, Kapooka (Wagga Wagga), Melbourne and Canberra working on various projects, including a review of the Army Law Manual.
He moved to the South Burnett in 1983 and settled at Memerambi.
Cr Wren’s wife Gwen passed away 10 years ago. They had been married for just over 50 years. Five years later he shifted into the Canowindra aged care facility in Kingaroy.
Cr Wren was also well-known in the South Burnett business community as principal of Wren Management Consultants which operated from premises in Mary Street for many years.
Ian also took on leadership roles within the Uniting Church, Legacy, TAFE, the National Party, the Kingaroy Development Board and Kingaroy Shire Council.
Acting South Burnett mayor Cr Keith Campbell said Cr Wren had been a very engaged and involved local councillor and had always demonstrated a broad knowledge about a vast number of subjects.
The funeral will be held at 2:00pm on Friday at the Kingaroy Uniting Church, corner of Youngman and Alford streets, to be followed by interment at Memerambi Cemetery.
Cr Wren is survived by his daughter Susan and son Digby. He was 88.
The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Legacy or Blue Care.
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Ian Douglas Kay Wren was born on July 4, 1924, the second and youngest son of Eric and Dorothy Wren, of Strathfield, in Sydney.
His parents had met in England: his father Eric was injured at the battle of Pozieres during World War I; Dorothy helped nurse him back to health.
Ian attended Trinity Grammar and apart from his studies was very involved in sport, especially cricket and rugby union.
After completing high school Ian was accepted into Duntroon. He spent his 21st birthday on active duty.
On his return home he was based in Sydney, but was also required to be at Woomera. During this period he met Gwen Kaill and romance blossomed. On November 17, 1951, they were married in the Anglican Church at Manly.
In May 1968, Ian graduated from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in political science.
Two other interests became evident at that time: Legacy and the church. He became an elder of the Presbyterian Church.
He retired from the army in 1968 and took up a position with Colonial Mutual travelling frequently to the south coast of NSW, and visiting many farmers and their properties. He also became an active lay preacher.
Ian was then appointed registrar of the Townsville Teacher’s College and later secretary of the Northern Rivers College of Advanced Education in Lismore.
When his daughter Susan and son-in-law Peter Mortimer moved to Kingaroy in 1983 to take on an accountancy practice, Ian and his wife Gwen shifted again to be close to their grandchild.
[UPDATED: January 1, 2013]
