Rees was born in Gibraltar, the eldest son of Rowland Rees, of Sutrana House, Dover, and later alderman of Brighton, England. He was educated in Hong Kong and Sheffield. It has also been asserted that he was educated in Dover, where his father was for many years mayor. He emigrated to Adelaide in 1869; his brother, Dr. John Rees followed seven years later. Rowland, along with his brothers Allen and Charles, "had all three received and squandered their inheritance" and were accordingly left nothing in their father's will; at any rate, having suffered "some kind of financial catastrophe" and moved into "a small terrace villa in Hove", the senior Rowland Rees left only enough to cover a few preliminary bequests. Rees began his architectural practice immediately upon arriving in the colony, initially in partnership with Thomas English. His work was usually characterised by bold decorative elements such as capitals, pilasters and pediments. He was in partnership with J. A. Hornabrook from 1878 to 1881, when Hornabrook left for a life on the professional stage. He was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly as member for The Burra, Burra and Onkaparinga. He advanced liberal ideas, such as free education, the regulation of gambling, and equal divorce rights for women. Rees was a member of the South Australian Institute from 1878, and helped to select works for the South Australian State Collection. He was a director of the Holdfast Railway Company, for which firm he also acted as engineer.
Mrs. Rees lived for some time with her son Sydney in Perth, and died in Subiaco, Western Australia. His brother John Rees, JP. studied at Guy's Hospital, and arrived in South Australia on 1 April 1876. He practised at Port Wakefield for two years before moving to Hindmarsh. He was mayor of Hindmarsh from December 1883 to December 1886, also serving as honorary Health Officer. He died of consumption. His sister Kathleen Rees in 1883 married the widower Dr. James Compton-Burnett, 15 years his junior. She had seven children by him, of whom Ivy Compton-Burnett was the eldest; there were also five children by his first marriage. Another sister Elizabeth Rees married Robert Blackie. Their youngest daughterMargery Grace Blackie was a noted homeopath.
