Death of Mr. David Reid of Albury

The Sydney Morning Herald

8 May 1906

A Notable Colonist.

Our Albury correspondent telegraphs that Mr. David Reid, one of the oldest colonists and pioneer settlers, died at his residence, Moorwatha, suddenly at 3 o'clock yesterday morning. The deceased gentleman came to the colony in 1823 with his father, the late Dr. Reid, R.N., who, after bringing out convicts, settled permanently at Inverary, near Goulburn.

Mr. David Reid was educated at the King's School, Sydney, and later on was one of the first overlanders, taking 500 cattle to Port Phillip in 1838. He crossed the Murray at Albury, then known as "Hume Crossing."

There was not a house at Albury at that time, the present site of the town then forming part of Mungabarena station, which was taken up by Mr. C. H. Edden, who afterwards became Treasurer of Victoria. Mr. David Reid first took up Carrariagar-Mungie, on the Ovens River, about Wangaratta.

The present township of Tarrawingee was in the centre of the run, which also included Reid's Creek and Beechworth. He subsequently took up Murramurrangbong and Yackandandah in 1844, and at Yackandandah erected the first flourmill in the district. This mill served an enormous area of country, no other being nearer on the north than Gundagai and on the south than Seymour.

Selling out his property, Mr. Reid lived for some time in the Goulburn district, and later on returning, he bought Barnawartha run, and built the homestead known as "The Hermitage," where he lived for several years. In 1859, 1870, and 1871 he served in the Victorian Legislative Assembly as member for the Murray.

Subsequently he embarked in large squatting enterprises on the Lachlan and Warrego. Meeting with severe reverses in 1875 he selected under the Robertson Land Act the holding on which he resided up to his death. He married in 1844 Miss Mary Barber, of Glenrock, niece of Hamilton Hume, the explorer, by whom he had a large family, and who survives him. He was one of the first border magistrates, and founder of the Ovens and Murray Agricultural Society, and first president of the Albury society.

He held the position of a member of the pastures protection board. Mr. Reid was a typical colonist, possessing the sturdy self-reliance, force of character, and genial manner characteristic of his order.