TOATOA PIONEER AND FORMER COUNTY CHAIRMAN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22730, 31 August 1948, Page 4

TOATOA PIONEER AND FORMER COUNTY CHAIRMAN

The recent death of Mr. J. H. Reid, which occurred at Opotiki, removed a pioneer of the district and a man who in his clay played a large part in the development of public amenities for Opotiki and the surrounding country. Mr. Reid was chairman of the Opotiki County Council for 14 years, and took a prominent part in racing control, Chamber of Commerce matters and in the marketing of primary production. He was born in England, and came to New Zealand as a boy with his parents, Dr. and Mrs. A. Reid, who settled in Opotiki in 1877 and acquired the Burnside property. The family developed this property to a high state of efficiency. Shortly after his marriage in 1898 to Miss Agnes Pile, Mr. J. H. Reid took up a large block of unimproved land at Toatoa. The country was in heavy bush, and Mr. Reid followed the practice of the pioneers, living in a small bush whare until with the passing of the years he broke the property in.

Toatoa Dairy Enterprise

His energy and capacity soon began to make its mark, and with other settlers of the Toatoa area he organised eventually a thriving dairy industry in the high country, becoming chairman of the Toatoa cheese company and establishing the concern on modern lines. The product of the factory won many awards, and was much sought in the domestic and overseas market. A man of many interests, Mr. Reid did much to promote educational facilities for backblocks children, and also became a seasoned campaigner for district interests in connection with railway progress and business development. He is survived by Mrs. Reid and six daughters, Mesdames C. T. Clark and Watson, and Misses Molly, Edith, Nora, Marjorie and Tui Reid.