Always a country man, David Reid has lived in Scone 50 years and like many others he moved to town for two years and is still here. 

The interesting character was born at Narrandera and grew up as the son of farmers on a large Riverina sheep station on the flat country plains between Narrandera, Hay and Carrathool.

As a little fella with one   brother and two sisters Mr Reid got a taste of the idyllic Aussie country lifestyle driving utes, tractors and trucks around the 101,000 acres which was home to 30,000 sheep and 600 cattle. 

With memories of visiting his nearby grandparents and cousin, Mr Reid enjoyed the thrills of roo and duck shooting, firefighting, mustering and all aspects of station life, including his primary education through Blackfriars Correspondence School delivered by his mother. 

Enjoying the flexibility of correspondence school and fitting it into his love of the country and bush lifestyle, it was a massive shock to the system when Mr Reid was sent to boarding school at Canberra Grammar School for his secondary education. 

Despite brutal homesickness, terrible food and a complete culture shock Mr Reid settled and went on to complete his fifth year leaving certificate in 1960. 

He said boarding school was a complete shock to him, as it was the first time he had sat in a classroom and he had no idea of classroom behaviour, sporting skills and all the stuff that everyone else seemed to know. 

“Having made a number of friends throughout my five years I was rather sad to leave when the time arrived, but it’s nice that I now have two grandchildren attending the same school,” he said. 

It was then that Mr Reid started what turned out to be a very rewarding and prosperous career, and which ultimately led to his eventual move to Scone. 

His first job was as a junior clerk at Dalgety and Co – stock and station agents in Sydney where he spent the first six months working in the mail room, picking up what he now realises was invaluable       training for later life. 

After progressing up the ladder through the accounts department, Mr Reid became a relief branch accountant taking him around country NSW living in many country towns, usually for one or two months at a time. 

Hotel accommodation was well known to the young flexible man, but when a two year appointment came up at Bourke, he took it. 

It was in western NSW that Mr Reid decided to take on a challenge he had admired and learn to fly. 

He started learning at the Bourke Aerodrome with the flying school – Masling Aviation and gained his private licence in 1964.

In 1965, Mr Reid was thrilled to be transferred to the Scone branch for two years as it was closer to his fiancée (now wife) Mary.

Mr Reid said he remembers arriving in Scone that year during a severe drought and thinking the St Aubins land just south of Scone was ploughed for crops, however it was just bare of all grass cover.

After marrying in 1966, the couple settled in Scone building their first house and later starting a family. 

Mr Reid continued his flying training at the Royal Newcastle  Aero Club where he gained his commercial licence in 1967.

Further training led to his qualification as a flying instructor which is when he and other foundation members formed the Scone Aero Club where Mr Reid was the honorary flying instructor and worked hard to set the club up with an aircraft and hangar. 

Mr Reid said he is proud to have been awarded life membership of the club, and although he no longer flies he is still an avid enthusiast.

It was time for a life change so Mr Reid accepted a position as a pilot and instructor with Thunderbird Aviation, which was a small charter company operating flights to Sydney and flying training, as well as being the owners of Scone Travel agency. 

In 1968, the sensible man joined Colin Pay of Pay and Williamson as an accountant and charter pilot, where he formed a close business association and friendship with Mr Pay throughout the following 22 years until 1990 when they         purchased an aerial spreading and aircraft maintenance           business – Airpasture and Scone Aircraft Maintenance. 

Mr Reid said his and Mr Pay’s close personal friendship remained until Mr Pay’s death in 2007 and now continues with the Pay family. 

Throughout those years, Mr Reid was involved in many interesting aviation and                   agricultural projects from establishing an aerial fertiliser spreading operation in Malaysia to oil palm plantations, importing aircraft to sell and rebuilding wartime aircraft.

Mr Reid said his flying career has allowed him to visit and experience many and varied locations, magnificent scenery and weather conditions and he has been privileged to have associated with many genuine and talented aviators throughout Australia, New Zealand and overseas. 

The now retired grandfather of eight recalls a couple of highlights of his career here in Scone, including converting a Fletcher aircraft from piston engine to turbine powered as part of the Stallion Conversion project in the 1990s, and the industry leading introduction of GPS  mapping to fertiliser spreading aircraft and an aerial survey where they operated a number of Fletcher aircraft out of Perth on geophysical survey, which later operated abroad.

After retiring about seven years ago Mr Reid enjoys volunteering with the Scone Legacy Group which he joined about five years ago when encouraged by a close friend. 

Being the current secretary, he said he really enjoys the camaraderie between the people and the local ladies they look after are real treasures. 

With his strong background and interest in flying, Mr Reid is a member of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service Scone Volunteer Support Group which he believes is a great service that we must support where we can. 

He is also a dedicated member of the Scone Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Society and the Scone Men’s Probus Club.

Mr Reid said he likes volunteering as he believes you need to get involved in a small town.

“Provided it doesn’t rule me, I like to be involved if I can.

“I’m not one of these professional meeting goers though, I prefer the hands on side of volunteering,” he said. 

Mr Reid said during the 50 years of living in Scone his wife Mary has always supported him through good times and bad, and without this unflinching support none of his achievements would have been possible. 

“I thank Mary dearly for this.”