TOWNSVILLE BUSINESSPEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW
MARK DYER During a person’s legal career many choices are faced regarding the direction of that career. There are sought-after positions available in government instrumentalities, in corporations and at the Bar but solicitor Mark Dyer has remained in private practice. Why? “I guess it’s the humanity involved in dealing with people’s private and confidential needs and problems,” Mark says. “Quite often the clients are experiencing stressful circumstances in their lives. What characterises that relationship are the elements of trust and respect between client and solicitor.” As a senior practitioner in Townsville, Mark’s role is to supplement the talent that exists in Kirwan’s Rapid Legal Solutions (RLS) office under the principal solicitor John Windridge. A young, dynamic and progressive legal practice, RLS provides specialist conveyancing services and services in general law. Mark moved to Townsville in December 1979 after becoming disillusioned with practice as a junior solicitor in Hobart. “I discovered a classified ad for a position in Townsville for a solicitor to join a firm retained by the then Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Legal Service,” he recalls. “Applications for the position were to be addressed to a Lawrence Neasey. I recognised the name immediately as Lawrence was a graduate of the University of Tasmania who was two or three years ahead of me. When he received my application, he phoned and asked me to jump on the next flight to Townsville.” After three-and-a-half years as a solicitor serving the Townsville Aboriginal and Islander community, Mark was intending to return to Hobart when he was approached by Pat O’Shea. They soon joined forces as O’Shea & Dyer Solicitors and would go on to spend nearly 30 years together. While he’s still enjoying practising law, now with Rapid Legal Solutions, Mark has always maintained recreational interests outside of work. You may have seen him in Theatre INQ’s production of Cosi, where he played a manic depressive former solicitor with a stutter. A passion for acting has followed through to Mark and Diana’s children, with their youngest daughter Harriet working in live theatre, TV and now movies in Sydney. “People would’ve seen her as Patricia in the recent Channel 9 series of Love Child,” Mark says. Mark and Diana’s eldest daughter Madeleine and her new husband Dan were recently in Townsville filming a Bollywood movie called The Departure Lounge. They’ve recently started their own production company, Maddan Productions, and relocated to Melbourne. The Dyers’ youngest child, John, has moved to Melbourne too, where he’s hoping to undertake a course at RMIT and has auditioned for a couple of TV ads. Rapid Legal Solutions 71 Thuringowa Drive, Kirwan 4755 9100 enquiries@rapidlegal.com.au www.rapidlegal.com.au
“WHEN HE RECEIVED MY APPLICATION, HE PHONED AND ASKED ME TO JUMP ON THE NEXT FLIGHT TO TOWNSVILLE.” MARK DYER
96 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2014 duomagazine.com.au