ADA Life Member Mark Blundell passed away on Friday, February 21, 2025.
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A key leader in the ‘second generation’ of ADA people, Mark joined the Association as a young man in the early 1980s, having had a fascination with wild deer and the natural world his entire life.
Wanting to learn from the doyens of the Australian deer scene such as Arthur Bentley, Mike Harrison and Ken Pearce, Mark discovered that helping to clean up after meetings, then serving on his local branch committee, opened the door to friendships and opportunities that would be definitive in his life.
Mark’s keen intellect, sharp organisational skills and famous resourcefulness soon saw him serving on the ADA’s Victorian State Executive and, for eleven years, as the editor of the ADA’s flagship publication, Australian Deer. Mark also served on the Victorian Government’s Firearm Advisory Committee, Victoria Police Firearm User Group and as the Vice President of the Public Land Council of Victoria.
The late 1980s was a particularly tumultuous time for both deer hunting and firearm ownership in Victoria and Mark was involved in meetings with the leading politicians of the day, including Joan Kirner, Jeff Kennett, Steve Crabbe, Peter Ross-Edwards, Bill McGrath and many others, where Mark’s insight and common sense were highly valued.
In the early 2000s Mark formed a key part of the ADA’s National leadership team (along with George McKenzie and Max Airs) reforming the Association’s finances and governance and setting the Association up for the further reforms that would follow a decade later. Mark also served for several years as the Secretary of the Australian Deer Research Foundation.
Mark was never backward in putting forward his opinion and perspective but was never belligerent or dogmatic about it either.
Mark’s was an extraordinary contribution that helped to shape the Australian deer scene for the better. He will be missed.
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