Reg Dew, the father of riggers, passes away in Cobargo after an extraordinary life

Reg Dew, the father of riggers, lived his life to the full. He travelled the world working on big projects and touring with the world’s biggest bands.

Reg counted David Bowie, Joe Cocker and Madonna among his friends. He worked on the 2000 Olympics’ opening and closing ceremonies, and built stages for Pope John Paul II and Pope Paul VI, as well as for American evangelist Billy Graham. Reg passed away on 5 October, aged 90.

Reg was born in Geelong in April 1934 and joined the Army when he was 17. He moved to Sydney in 1958 and began work as a rigger on the Opera House. He went on to set up a scaffolding and rigging business, ACE Rigs, which did a lot of major construction work in Sydney.

Reg’s son Graeme said one of the first concerts his father worked on was for David Cassidy in 1973. AC/DC followed in 1974, ABBA in 1977 and Rod Stewart in 1979. His last gig was the 2018 Cobargo Folk Festival. The father and son team worked on many concerts together.

Peter Logue, president of the Yuin Folk Club which runs the Cobargo Folk Festival, said Reg worked on more than 500 concerts.

“He was one of a kind. What he has done is astonishing,” Mr Logue said.

The acts he worked with included Liberace, America, and Art Garfunkel. Reg did three world tours with Pink Floyd and built the stage for the Victor Chang Concert for Life in 1992 that INXS headlined.

Then there were the opera singers such as Luciano Pavarotti and the Three Tenors, plus festivals and sporting events. Reg worked on the Davis Cup tennis tournament in Sydney for several years and the 15th Asian Games in Doha in 2006.

“He was a charming man, a great listener and you had to ask him questions to hear his stories such as building a stage on the water in Venice,” Mr Logue said.

Graeme said Reg travelled to Japan after the 2011 tsunami to install generators and help repair the coal-fired generators.

Reg had five children, and two followed him into the rigging industry. “Our school holidays was to go to work with Dad,” Graeme said. “It is a great job and all, but you are away from your family a lot which isn’t ideal.”

Reg was a handsome and big man, standing 193 cm tall and weighing 120 kg. He was a talented football player.

Reg played more than 200 games with the East Sydney Bulldogs AFL Club and represented NSW.

“He was instrumental in them getting their own club premises in Bondi Junction and coached many of their junior sides,” Graeme said.

Reg moved to Cobargo in the early 2000s for semi-retirement. He became involved in the Cobargo Folk Festival in 2003.

That was the year Mr Logue met Reg. He really got to know Reg when Mr Logue started working on the festival himself in 2013.

Mr Logue said Reg took his work at Cobargo Folk Festival as seriously as doing a U2 or Bob Dylan concert.

“He was a stickler on occupational health and safety,” Mr Logue said. “He had a saying there are old riggers and there are bold riggers but there are no old bold riggers.”

Reg convinced the festival committee to move it from the village to the Cobargo Showground.

Mr Logue said Reg was a great leader, great fun and full of ideas.

“He was a fine man who loved mentoring people. We now have a construction team that learnt from him and have the same standards.”

Reg lost his house, along with his vast collection of mementoes, in the Black Summer bushfires.

“The only things that survived were three goats and my father,” Graeme said. “We lost a lot of family history.”

It did not stop him from continuing to work on the Cobargo Folk Festival and several other Far South Coast events like Kalaru’s Sapphire Rock and Roll Festival, Bermagui Seaside Fair and the Cobargo Agricultural Show.

“Even in his 80s I had to chastise him for climbing ladders,” Mr Logue said.

Reg’s grandson has become the third generation to work in the industry.

“My son Kieren is my project manager for my business Tri-Point Rigging Services which is a lead on from Reg’s business,” Graeme said.

An entire book has been written about Reg’s amazing life. “There are tributes to him from some of the great production people in the world,” Mr Logue said.

A memorial service will be held at South Sydney Junior Leagues Club in Kingsford from midday on 15 November.