# Len Reid

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> Source revision: 1350034491
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{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{Redirect|Leonard Reid|the English cricketer|Leo Reid|the home named after the American of the same name|Leonard Reid House|the American dancer|Leonard Reed|the American academic|Leonard Read}}
{{Use Australian English|date=May 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix =
| name             = Len Reid
| honorific_suffix = 
| image            = Len_Reid_1970.png
| constituency_MP  = [Holt](/source/Division_of_Holt)
| parliament       = Australian
| majority         = 
| predecessor      = ''New seat''
| successor        = [Max Oldmeadow](/source/Max_Oldmeadow)
| term_start       = 25 October 1969
| term_end         = 2 December 1972
| constituency_AM1 = [Dandenong](/source/Electoral_district_of_Dandenong)
| assembly1        = Victorian Legislative
| predecessor1     = [Ray Wiltshire](/source/Ray_Wiltshire)
| successor1       = [Alan Lind](/source/Alan_Lind)
| term_start1      = 31 May 1958
| term_end1        = September 1969
| birth_date       = {{birth date|df=yes|1916|9|21}}
| birth_place      = [Clifton Hill, Victoria](/source/Clifton_Hill%2C_Victoria)
| death_date       = {{death date and age|df=yes|2003|4|22|1916|9|21}}
| death_place      = [Melbourne](/source/Melbourne), Victoria
| spouse           = Joan Swallow
| party            = [Liberal Party](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Australia_(Victorian_Division))
| relations        = 
| children         = Roger and Virginia
| alma_mater       = 
| occupation       = Fighter pilot, dairy farmer
| profession       = BP petroleum company
| signature        = 
| website          = 
| footnotes        = <!-- Infobox military person -->
| allegiance       = Australia
| branch           = [Royal Australian Air Force](/source/Royal_Australian_Air_Force)
| service_years    = 1940–1946<br/>1948–1954
| rank             = [Flight Lieutenant](/source/Flight_Lieutenant)
| servicenumber    = 
| unit             = 
| commands         = [No. 79 Squadron RAAF](/source/No._79_Squadron_RAAF)
| battles          = {{tree list}}
* [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War)
** [European theatre](/source/European_theatre_of_World_War_II)
** [Mediterranean and Middle East theatre](/source/Mediterranean_and_Middle_East_theatre_of_World_War_II)
*** [Siege of Malta](/source/Siege_of_Malta_(World_War_II))
** [Pacific War](/source/Pacific_War)
{{tree list/end}}
| mawards          = [Distinguished Flying Cross](/source/Distinguished_Flying_Cross_(United_Kingdom)) 
}}

'''Leonard Stanley Reid''', {{postnominals|country=AUS|size=100%|DFC}} (21 September 1916 – 22 April 2003) was an Australian [fighter pilot](/source/fighter_pilot) and politician who represented the [Liberal Party](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Australia_(Victorian_Division)) as a member of the [Victorian Legislative Assembly](/source/Victorian_Legislative_Assembly) and the [Australian House of Representatives](/source/Australian_House_of_Representatives).

Reid served as a fighter pilot in both the [Royal Australian Air Force](/source/Royal_Australian_Air_Force) and on attachment to the [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force) during the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War), and was awarded the [Distinguished Flying Cross](/source/Distinguished_Flying_Cross_(United_Kingdom)) on 4 December 1942.<ref>[http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/35809/supplements/5267/page.pdf Supplement to the London Gazette 4 December 1942]</ref> After the war, he ran a dairy farm in [Cranbourne, Victoria](/source/Cranbourne%2C_Victoria) before being elected to the [Electoral district of Dandenong](/source/Electoral_district_of_Dandenong) at the [1958 Victorian state election](/source/1958_Victorian_state_election). Reid served as the member for Dandenong for 11 years,<ref>{{Cite re-member|num2=1520|name=Leonard Stanley Reid|access-date=2022-08-04}}</ref> before resigning his seat to contest the newly created federal [Division of Holt](/source/Division_of_Holt), which covered much of the same area as Dandenong, at the [1969 federal election](/source/1969_Australian_federal_election).<ref name=Joan>[http://www.caseyweeklycranbourne.com.au/news/local/news/general/cranbourne-loses-mover-and-shaker-joan-reid/2281278.aspx Casey Weekly ''Cranbourne loses mover and shaker''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205002818/http://www.caseyweeklycranbourne.com.au/news/local/news/general/cranbourne-loses-mover-and-shaker-joan-reid/2281278.aspx |date=5 December 2014 }} {{Dead link|date=October 2023}}</ref> Reid won narrowly, but was defeated at the [1972 federal election](/source/1972_Australian_federal_election) partly due to the swing that ousted the [McMahon](/source/William_McMahon) government and partly due to demographic changes which saw [Dandenong](/source/Dandenong%2C_Victoria) develop as a major industrial centre.

Whilst a member of the lower house he crossed the floor and voted with the Labor Party or abstained from voting.<ref name=Joan/>

Reid was avidly connected with people who were marginalised in society and actively concentrated on the poor in India and Bangladesh. His publications included ''Crusade against Death''.<ref>[http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/433562 National Library of Australia]</ref> He was one of the founders of the charity "For Those Who Have Less", now part of "Action Aid Australia".<ref>[http://home.vicnet.net.au/~action/pub/jun_03/june_2003_1.htm Action Aid Australia] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070329113013/http://home.vicnet.net.au/~action/pub/jun_03/june_2003_1.htm |date=29 March 2007 }}</ref>

In 1946, Reid married Joan Averill Swallow, daughter of Leonard Swallow and Dorothy Comyn,<ref name=Joan/> the niece of [Hugh Comyn](/source/Hugh_Comyn) and [William Leslie Comyn](/source/William_Leslie_Comyn). Reid and his wife had two children, Virginia and Roger.<ref name=Joan/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|au}}
{{s-new|division}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member for [Holt](/source/Division_of_Holt)|years=1969–1972}}
{{s-aft|after=[Max&nbsp;Oldmeadow](/source/Max_Oldmeadow)}}
{{s-par|au-vic-la}}
{{s-bef|before=[Ray Wiltshire](/source/Ray_Wiltshire)}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member for [Dandenong](/source/Electoral_district_of_Dandenong) | years=1958–1969}}
{{s-aft|after=[Alan Lind](/source/Alan_Lind)}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, Len}}
Category:1916 births
Category:2003 deaths
Category:Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II
Category:Australian World War II flying aces
Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia
Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives
Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Holt
Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Category:Australian recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
Category:Royal Australian Air Force officers
Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Victoria
Category:People from Clifton Hill, Victoria
Category:People from Cranbourne, Victoria
Category:Military personnel from Melbourne
Category:Politicians from Melbourne
Category:Australian MPs 1969–1972

{{Australia-Liberal-Victoria-MP-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Len Reid](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Len_Reid) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Len_Reid?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.