Historical information

The Children of Research State School in 1922
Photo and list of children provided by Ivy Reynolds to Ross McDonald. Ross has supplemented and filled in some blanks, from the children names in Andrew Lemons book 'Return to Research. A centenary of Research Primary School, 1989 ' page 103. Additional commentary provided by Ivy Reynolds in 2006.
1. Winnie La Frenz - a great friend of the Reynolds
2. Ruth Thompson - Wally Buttwell's niece
3. Bertha Wiltshire
4. Ivy Dickson (who grew up to be a good-looking woman)
5. May Norman - a cousin to the Reynolds through Ernest Reynolds
6. Elsie Shaw
7. Veenie Turner (Ivy was not 100% sure of her surname, but said she was not related to Hazel Turner)
8 Lil La Frenz (Lilian) - a bright spark and a lively tennis player
9 Lily Wilson (looks like a boy) - had red hair
10 Hazel Turner - a cousin of the Reynolds who lost her mother very early in life. Her father remarried and the family then became Roman Catholics, which in those days, caused them to become distant with the Anglican Reynolds family
11 Lila Dickson (Lyla)
12. Jack Wilson - a red-head like his sister
13. Len Blashick
14. Marjory Palmer
15 ? Burgoyne
16 Lance Doney and 17 Bill Doney. Cleaver boys who went to Ivanhoe Grammar. Both caught TB
from their mother and died young.
17. Bill Doney - The Doneys were clever boys. They went to Ivanhoe Grammar after Research Primary and this educational advantage caused them to grow apart from the local boys. Both caught tuberculosis from their mother and didn't live long. Lance died first, but Bill survived long enough to join the Merchant Navy. He eventually entered the Mont Park Sanatorium where Ernest Reynolds used to visit him every Sunday. The Doney boys were keen on Margaret and Ivy Reynolds at one stage (probably before they became seriously ill) and Bill gave Ivy a macrame belt he'd made.
18 ? Burgoyne
19 ? Messen (Frank or Alex Masson)
20 Neville West
21 ? Shaw
22 ? Shaw
23 Neil Palmer
24 George Shaw or his brother Bertie
25 George Shaw or his brother Bertie
26 Eva Kilson
27 Lorna Turner
28 ? Henry Fox (or possibly Eric?)
29 Nancy Storey (adopted)
30 Mona Fox
31. Nell Storey (also adopted) She married Sam Howard and they had 2 daughters. One went to Queensland, the other lived locally and helped at the Research Anglican Church.
32 Victor Davey
33 Margaret Reynolds
34 Ethel Davey - cousin of the Reynolds through Ernest Reynolds
35 ? Randall (Freddie)
36 ? Randall (Kitty) -Their father was a builder who made toys for every child at the school one Christmas
37 Ronnie Turner
38 ? Ivy couldn't remember his name, but thought he lived at the Research Hotel
39 John Reynolds
40 Jim Davey
41 Unknown
42 Ivy Reynolds
43. Unknown - one of the unknown boys is Jimmy Storey
44. Unknown
45. Unknown
46. Dorothy La Frenz
47. Eric Fox
48. Unknown
49. Possibly Bert Shaw

One of the boys in the photograph is Jimmy Storey

Significance

The Reynolds family were early settlers in Research.

The Reynolds/ Prior collection of photographs were taken by Tom Prior, the maternal uncle of Ivy Reynolds, around 1900 and the 60 photos in the album give a fine overview of many of the landmarks of Research and Eltham over 100 years ago.

lvy lived in the family home for many years at 106 Thompson Cres Research. Ivy's father, Ernst Richard Reynolds and grandfather, Richard Reynolds, lived at the same address. Ivy's father Richard worked for Mr. Trail on his property in Research. Reynolds Road is named after the family.

Mr Tom Prior (wife Eva) worked at the Melbourne zoo. He was very innovative and made his own camera, using the black cloth hood to exclude the light.
The photographs are a reminder of the rural nature of Research and Eltham and its rich heritage.

Physical description

Black and white photograph mounted in an album, the Reynolds/Prior Photograph Collection, this being one of 53 reproduced black and white images of early Eltham.

Inscriptions & markings

The Reynolds/Prior Photograph Collection, Presented to the Eltham District Historical Society, 14 June 2006 by Ross McDonald. A second copy was also presented to the Andrew Ross Museum, Kangaroo Ground

Subjects