Mr Edward Lynes was born on the 29^th of June, 1935 in Melbourne to Thomas Charles Lynes, a timber worker, and his wife Elsie Mary [nee Cooper]. The family lived in the Powelltown area of Gippsland and Ted began primary school there at age 4. Thomas Lynes was killed in a tree-felling accident in 1941 and the family moved to Trafalgar. Elsie married again in early 1945 to Alexander ‘Keith’ Martin, a stock and station agent, and the family later moved to a dairy farm in the Strzelecki Ranges south of Traralgon. 

Mr Lynes completed 8^th grade at Callignee State School then attended St Patrick’s College in Sale from 1948 to the end of 1950. He gained his Leaving Certificate. He worked in the Union Bank and then the ANZ, with postings in Traralgon, Melbourne city and Daylesford. He left the bank and entered the Ballarat Teachers’ College, then located in the Dana Street School, in 1954.

Mr Lynes began National Service with the first intake of 1956 in the 15^th National Service Battalion at Puckapunyal and thence at Watsonia. Teachers were posted to towns as close to their family as possible, so at the completion of his three months of National Service, and as his parents then were living at Corowa in NSW, he was posted to Yackandandah State School and allocated to 8^th/13^th Victorian Mounted Rifles to complete his CMF training.

Mr Lynes transferred to Tutye State School, 50 miles west of Ouyen, in September 1956 and was unable to attend training parades at Wangaratta, but did attend CMF camp with 8^th/13^th VMR in early 1957. He applied and was granted exemption from further training because of the distance from the nearest training depot. He transferred to Dooen State School in September 1959. On the 9^th of January 1960, he married Margaret Joan Spencer, also a teacher, of Ballarat. They had four daughters.

After this Mr Lynes  enlisted in 36 Coy RAASC [Tipper] in April 1961. He was appointed 2^nd Lieutenant on the 6^th of August 1963, and then transferred in employment to Bellbrae near Geelong where he was seconded to 10 Medium Regt RAA, also in Geelong, in early 1964.

Mr Lynes next transferred to Rokewood State School in 1965, where his daughters started school, and also transferred to 2RVR (Pentropic) on the 13^th of April 1965. He was appointed as a Platoon Commander in B Company, then as a Recruit Platoon Commander and then second-in-command of B Company. He was promoted Captain and officer-in-command of B Company on the 2^nd of March 1967.

He was then promoted Temporary Major on the 3^rd of December 1969, then Major when he administered command of 2 RVR for three months during illness of the CO, Lieutenant-Colonel Brian Colbert, and the absence of Battalion 2IC Major Kevin Dower. During with this period he attended various courses at Infantry Centre and Land Warfare Centre Canungra and undertook a staff tour of Vietnam in 1970 with 8 RAR.

Now Lieutenant-Colonel, Mr Lynes commanded 2 RVR from 1979 to 1981 with annual camps at Land Warfare Centre Canungra, Big Desert, and HMAS Cerberus. During his time as CO he opened a new depot at the Bacchus Marsh RSL.

After relinquishing command of 2 RVR Mr Lynes was posted to 3^rd Division Training Group as a project officer where he led a study into the availability of training areas and military properties within Victoria. He attended Joint Services Staff College, Canberra, in early 1983, and then was posted as Chief Instructor OCTU (Army Reserve Officer Cadet Training Unit). Ted retired from the Army on the 29^th of June 1985. Mr Lynes also taught at Newlyn for 11 years, where his daughters were also educated, and Scarsdale, his last school.

In his later years Mr Lynes  was heavily involved with Legacy, the Legion of Ex-Servicemen and Women, The Battle for Australia Foundation (Victoria) and the Sir Albert Coates Memorial Trust and was also involved with the 8^th/7^th Battalion – 2 RVR Association along with the Ballarat Ranger Military Museum. On Australia Day 2009, Mr Lynes was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the community, particularly ex-service personnel. 

He is survived by his four daughters and eight grandchildren. His wife Margaret predeceased him in 2013.