Honouring the finest in our field

Life Membership

Members who have a distinguished record of achievement with the Association or the security industry may, at the invitation of the Board, be awarded a Life Membership of the Association.

Life Membership awarded to Grant Baxter in 2019

Pictured above: new Life Member Grant Baxter (middle), with National President Peter Lloyd (left), and Life Member David Rees

Recent Life Membership recipients

Life Membership was awarded to David Rees in 2018:

Pictured above: Life Member David Rees (middle) with  and Peter Lloyd (MLAA National President)

Life Membership was awarded to Norm Axford and Cliff Forrester in 2017:

Pictured above: Life Member Norm Axford (middle) with his wife Tracy and Peter Lloyd (MLAA National President)

Pictured above: Life Member Cliff Forrester (middle) with his wife Ruth and Michael Rechenberg (MLAA Director QLD)

John Andrew Apprentice of the Year

This annual award honours the memory of the late John Andrew who was the Association’s inaugural Life Member and a winner of the A.L. Chantry Memorial Award for the Pursuit of Excellence.  Eligible apprentices employed by MLAA Business members in Australia and New Zealand are invited to participate.

The test covers Picking, Impressioning, Lock fitting, Master Keying, Safe Diagnostics and General Knowledge.

LSC, Silca and ABUS continue to be major supporters of the Award, with the winner (and their Master) to receive a fully funded trip to Italy and Germany to visit the Silca & ABUS factories respectively.

Jesse Shepherd – Winner John Andrew Apprentice of the Year 2019

Pictured above: 2019 John Andrew Apprentice of the Year Jesse Shepherd (left) with his mentor Matt Ellis

Pictured above (from left): Peter Lloyd (MLAA), Fabrizio Lante (Silca), Cliff Forrester (MLAA), Jesse Shepherd, David Weinel (LSC), Andre Winterhoff (ABUS) and Matt Ellis

Past Winners

Pictured below: Winner 2018 Riley Davison

Pictured below: Winner 2017 Zachary Winslade

Pictured below: Winner 2016 Peng Guo (Leo)

Pictured below: Winner 2015 Luke Bergin

A.L. Chantry Memorial Award for the Pursuit of Excellence

This Award was established in 1987 in honour of the late Albert Chantry, a pioneer of locksmithing in Victoria (AU).

It acknowledges the commitment and contribution of a Member or Director of the Master Locksmiths Association.

It is awarded periodically and requires 75% of the votes of the current Directors of the MLAA.

Fraser Burns – Recipient of the A.L. Chantry Award for 2019

Pictured below (from left): 2019 recipient Fraser Burns, President Peter Lloyd, and 2018 recipient Cliff Forrester

S.D. Mills Award

This Award honours the memory of the late Stephen D. Mills and acknowledges an outstanding practical example of locksmithing, e.g. the design of a new lock, locksmithing tool or procedure in areas ranging from the cutting of ornate keys to the development of computer software concepts or programs.

National Presidents of the MLAA

As a Member Organisation, the MLAA is governed by a Board of Directors. The Board MLAA consist of 6 Regional Directors representing the States and Territories, and New Zealand and a National President.

The National President is responsible for the overall leadership and direction of the Association.

The National President also acts as the Association’s spokesperson on relevant issues in the public domain and in the media, represents the Association at key internal and external events, chairs Board Meetings, ensures the diverse views of the Association are represented at Board level, and ensures that the views and decisions of the Board are communicated effectively.

Peter Lloyd
President of the MLAA