HORACE MONTAGUE REID

? –  30/7 1946

Horace was an Old Age Pensioner, storekeeper and radio operator.

Extract from  The News  in 1946

“Until the death of Mr Horace Reid, a few days before I arrived, Coober Pedy had regular contact with the outside world by pedal wireless, as he was one of the few men in Coober who knew how to operate the radio transmitter. Strangely the set is now locked up in a dugout near the store, and the key is at a station, 34 miles away. The postmaster, Bill Oliver, can operate the set and said that he has volunteered to listen in at 11 am each day as required by law. But under the present set-up he would have to do a 68 mile round trip in case of an emergency. When I left, efforts were being made to provide a more satisfactory communication service.”