Queenstown-born Lindsay Reid, who died this month aged 90, is being remembered as an amazing teacher, gentle character, talented sportsman, man of the land, great family man and a fourth-generation local. Arriving in Arrowtown in 1866, Lindsay’s great-grandparents were early European settlers. His grandfather William Reid was a prominent businessman and chairman of the then Lake County Council for 28 years. His parents Gwendoline and Jim were both born in the former local gold mining settlement of Macetown and Lindsay was raised on the family’s Malaghans Rd farm, Brookside, going to Arrowtown School which he ended up heading. His parents moved to Dunedin when he was 10, and after attending Musselburgh School was at King’s High where he captained the rugby 1st XV and cricket 1st XI. In 1957, he was part of an underdog Otago rugby side who took the Ranfurly Shield off Wellington — it was another 66 years before they won the shield again. Meanwhile, Lindsay — following in the footsteps of his mother who taught at the local Crown Range School and walked up Tobins Track to get there — attended teachers’ college in Dunedin. There he met Gill Stoop whom he married in ’59. Lindsay taught in West Otago — as did Gill, initially — and ended up at Tapanui District High. Between ’61 and ’78 they had five children — Chris, who sadly passed away aged 34 after a long illness, Jo, Melanie, Becky and Amy. In ’75 he became deputy principal of the new Queenstown Primary School. The family had temporary digs at a house on the Stanley St/Gorge Rd corner where Melanie kept her pony, Sovy. They had gates, but Becky said at her dad’s funeral service “he got out numerous times and galloped down Shotover St alongside trucks, Melly trailing him with a rope”. [Missing Credit]Lasting legacy: The late Lindsay Reid, pictured when he was deputy principal at Queenstown Primary School in the mid-'70s. Photo: Supplied At school, Lindsay taught the times table through a game called ‘snatch it’ — kids competed to provide answers by snatching a piece of rubber placed on a desk between two players. He was also big on fitness, getting kids running during morning tea breaks. From ’80 to ’90 he was the popular principal of Arrowtown School, commuting from the family home in Queenstown’s Bowen St — an historic cottage where he’d keep a good vege garden and a menagerie of animals. During his time there he led a lot of school camps, especially to Stewart Island, as well as getting kids into a school skiing programme at Coronet Peak. Lindsay also had sheep and cattle on leased land he’d feed out on his way home. After Arrowtown School he briefly had a garden and lawn-mowing business before becoming a relief teacher in the Chatham Islands. Following Chris’ death, Lindsay had another stint at another Chatham Islands school, at Owenga, regarded as the most remote in New Zealand. Fulfilling a dream, he and Gill moved to a farmlet near Dunedin in 2004, before moving back to Central Otago, then Queenstown’s Kelvin Heights in 2014. He played cricket as a wicketkeeper/batsman for various clubs till he was into his 60s, represented Otago Country and, for many years, was part of the Central Otago Wanderers team. He also toured Canada with a Golden Oldies team. In her eulogy, Becky called her dad “both a gentle man and a gentleman”, who also had a good sense of humour. “He had a strong sense of presence and an underlying strength that held him, and all of us, in good stead.” Through teaching he touched a lot of lives, she said — “he was gentle with them and made learning fun”. Melanie adds: “He brought us up to tough it out, not give up. “He didn’t like show-offs and always used the phrase, ‘self-praise is no recommendation’.” Like his forebears, he’s been interred in the Arrowtown cemetery. scoop@scene.co.nz
