Robert Dyce Reid (3 August 1829 – 5 September 1900) was a pastoralist and politician in colonial

Victoria, Australia Victoria, commonly abbreviated as Vic, is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state (after Tasmania), with a land area of ; the second-most-populated state (after New South Wales), with a population of over 7 million; ...

, member of the

Victorian Legislative Council The Victorian Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Victorian Legislative Assembly, Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House, Melbourne, Parliament ...

. __NOTOC__

Early life

Reid was the third son of Lt. Dr. David Reid, surgeon R.N., and his wife Agnes, ''née'' Dyce and was born on 3 August 1829, at Inverary Park, near

Goulburn, New South Wales Goulburn ( ) is a regional city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, approximately south-west of Sydney and north-east of Canberra. It was proclaimed as Australia's first inland city through letters patent by Queen Victor ...

. He was the brother of cricketer

Curtis Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the Old French ''curteis'' (Modern French">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of Fren ...

and pastroalist

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

. Reid went to Victoria at seventeen years of age, and settled in the

Ovens file:Double oven.jpg, upA double oven file:Four à céramique - Japan Auréa - 2011-0403- P1070446.JPG, A ceramic oven An oven is a tool that is used to expose materials to a hot environment. Ovens contain a hollow chamber and provide a means o ...

district, at Reid's Creek, immediately after the opening up of the

Mount Alexander Mount Alexander is a mountain located approximately 125 km north-west of Melbourne, near the town of Harcourt. It rises 350 metres above the surrounding area to a level of 744 metres above sea level. Being a prominent local landmark, ...

goldfield. He was engaged for thirty years in squatting pursuits, and subsequently visited

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

Political career

On his return to Victoria, Reid was elected to the

for the Eastern province unopposed in November 1876. In August 1880 accepted a seat in the third

Graham Berry Sir Graham Berry, (28 August 1822 – 25 January 1904), was an Australian colonial politician and the 11th Premier of Victoria. He was one of the most radical and colourful figures in the politics of colonial Victoria, and made the most de ...

Administration, without portfolio. After the defeat of the Government in July 1881, he resigned his seat in the Upper House, and unsuccessfully contested West Bourke against the then Premier (Sir

Bryan O'Loghlen Sir Bryan O'Loghlen, 3rd Baronet (pronounced and sometimes spelt Brian O'Lochlen; 27 June 1828 – 31 October 1905) was an Irish-born Australian colonial politician who was the 13th Premier of Victoria. Early life O'Loghlen was born in County ...

). After another unsuccessful contest for Fitzroy, he was returned for that constituency at the general election in 1883, and held the seat till 1889, when he was again defeated, as also in 1892. Reid was elected to the seat of

Toorak Toorak () is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Stonnington local government area. Toorak recorded a population of 12,817 at the 2021 census. The name ...

in October 1894, holding it until retiring in September 1897.

Personal life and legacy

Reid married Caroline Esther Shadforth, second surviving daughter of the late Colonel Shadforth, of the 57th Regiment. Reid died in

Armadale, Victoria Armadale is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, 7 km south-east of Melbourne's Melbourne City Centre, Central Business District, located within the City of Stonnington Local government areas of Victoria, ...

on 5 September 1900 survived by his wife and five daughters.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, Robert Dyce 1829 births 1900 deaths Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Members of the Victorian Legislative Council People from New South Wales 19th-century Australian politicians Australian people of Scottish descent