Joseph Reed was born in 1875 and came to Bendigo in 1900 after gaining experience at an aerated water factory in Melbourne. He built a new factory in Long Gully in 1906. He formed a partnership with his brother in 1908. By 1911 sales of aerated water were dropping dramatically so the brothers began making tomato sauce and moved into new premises - the old Bruce Cordial Factory in Bridge Street, Bendigo. Following Joseph's death, his share of the business was taken over by his son . The company was bought out in 1966 by Cohns.Small glass bottle smaller than full size REED BROS CRYSTAL CORDIAL WORKS BENDIGO. THIS BOTTLE IS THE PROPERTY OF REED BROS BENDIGObottle, glass, reed bros.

Embossed information on the side shows it to be the property if H.M. Leggo (1869-1938), a Bendigo merchant and manufacturer of grocers’ sundries that included pickles, sauces and condiments. In the 1920s the company expanded into chemicals such as arsenic, rabbit poison and pest sprays. Leggo’s bottles for condiments and preserves tended to be made of clear glass. The square base and tapered body is similar to the J Kitchen & Son brown phenyl bottle, and the Leggo bottle may have also contained a household chemical substance. It was found in the sea or on the island.Whatever their provenance, they have an association with an event or activity on Gabo Island and for this reason have second level contributory significance for their potential to yield information relating to the cultural history of the lightstation.Brown bottle with four flat sides. It tapers up, beginning with a small square base widening out and tapering to a narrow neck with a thread for a screw top. The bottle has a screw rim top, collar, short neck, four shoulders and a tapered body leading to an edged base.On side, "THIS BOTTLE IS THE PROPERTY OF H.M.LEGGO & CO LTD." On the side,"Reg.No 9376"