The Reed Family Picture Album (as drawn by Les)

HENRY MELMOTH REED

Born 10/02/1878 at Fitzroy.

Died 17/11/1941 in the City of Melbourne while live at 11 Downs Street, Brunswick.

Dad's death occurred while two of his sons (Syd and Bobby) were fighting overseas in WWII. It was a sudden death, of a stroke or heart attack: he dropped to the ground as he turned the key in the lock of the Barrow Bros front door.

To the left is Dad's Church of England confirmation certificate.

Walking the rails, Sorrento pier. Ern, Ron, Reg, Syd, Peter Meyer, Dot, Len, Stan, Les and Bobby.

Mum relaxes for a while.

Take it or leave it with "Sampson" at Wilsons. Mum: "A pound of steak, please. Your best steak." Sampson: "We only have one kind, lady: the best steak."

Dad arriving at the holiday house in his Oldsmobile. His reading material is The Truth (a scandal-rag much loved for its saucy stories.)

Dad is snapped here at Downs Street. Judging by what we can see in this photo, I'd say at a rough guess that he's perusing The Bulletin.

Dinner time (Wilson's Sausages) at Moola.
[Refer bottom of page for the origins of this repartee between the boys.]
Bobby: "I think they're made out of cab horse meat -- When Syd pushed that one out, all the others behind moved up one." Syd: "Move up, moveup and make room for others". Ron: "That's what you would call a race judge's dilemma, Syd. A dead 'eat!"

Burying the rubbish. Syd equips himself with a pick as Len digs: "This hole is 6 feet deep now." To which Ron replies: "That's no good. This can is 12 foot high." Ern is throwing-out a bottle and Les holds his nose. Ern then bursts into a parody of the "Duty must be done" duet from G & S. [With evident apologies to G & S, "Ruddigore", the Richard and Despard duet.]

Ron's dog Paddy enjoys a toffee and Ron has to pay the bill.

Breakfast at the Back Beach (Sorrento). Mum is seated with Ern busy cooking in front of her. To her side are Dot and Peter Meyer. Bobby, Les, Syd and Ron are the closest to the camp fire, with Stan, Len and Reg hoe-ing in!

Early morning swim, Back Beach pool (Sorrento). Stan had plunged in while the others test the water. Ern is depicted in his dressing gown, but that was Les's way of identifying him: I'm sure he had a cozzie as did everyone else. Likewise Stan.

Races at the Sorrento Park. Leading the way is Ron, followed by Len, Stan, Syd, Bobby and Ern, with Les in the rear.

The Reed's Horse-Meat Joke

Bobby told me years ago that the horse-drawn cabs queued as we would know from taxi cabs these days. When the first in the queue took off with a new fare, everyone else would have to shuffle forward. It was a standard Reed joke that the sausages (probably made from horse meat) would behave in just this same way.