Snapshot of the past - Reg Davis

A photograph of Longwarry North "garage man" Reg Davis on his 1928 Hart-Parr tractor.

Reg was a colourful character of the district. Born in 1914, he lived in Longwarry North, spent his early school years in Longwarry and completed school at Longwarry North.

His love of all things mechanical soon had him atop his father's tractor, ploughing the fields after school to allow his dad to milk the cows. This early introduction to engines would mould Reg's life.

Leaving school at age 13, Reg took to the fields, ploughing farms across the local area under the business name of WH Davis Ploughing Contractor.
Reg had been taught the mechanics trade from his dad, helping when he occasionally had to fix a broken down machine. Learning on the job, Reg was at ease with engines and his skills advanced quickly; so much so that Reg took over the Longwarry North garage in 1951.

Initially the business was called WH Davis Garage. However, a partnership with his brother-in-law Lindsay King saw the name changed to Davis and King Service Station. A lifelong love affair with everything tractors was born.

The service station became a second home for Reg. Every day for upwards of 40 years, Reg would drive his beloved 1954 FJ Holden ute "Tilly" from his home in Drouin to the service station in Longwarry North. Tilly was well-known in the district and the centrepiece of many photo shoots over the years.

In 1999, "The Herald Sun" came calling, and featured Reg and his garage in a story on Victoria's oldest workers. At that time, Reg was 85-years-old and had no intention of slowing down "while I'm still pretty fit".
Additionally, Honda used the garage as a backdrop to a promotional campaign in 1981.

The only thing that outlived Reg was his beloved 1928 Hart-Parr tractor. Up until recently, this tractor was in the safe hands of Reg's nephew Barry Houghton.
This tractor was similar to one that his brother Jack wrote about during his time serving in World War II. Jack wrote to his mum and told her "not to sell the tractor as he had a use for it". Sadly, Jack never saw the Hart-Parr again. He died on April 15, 1943.

The opening of the Princes Fwy spelt the beginning of the end for Reg; as his garage was passed by and sales dropped off. Whilst he retained some of the farmers' business, repairing their machines, the garage had to close. And, with it, Reg's working life ceased.

Reg died in 2004. His family included wife Elma, daughters Merle, Lyn (dec) and Shirley, son John, nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
"I probably didn't charge enough for my services, but I never really worked to make much dough," was how Reg summed up his life.

Photograph and information courtesy of Longwarry and District History Group with assistance from Reg's daughter Shirley.
Preserving and sharing memories of Longwarry and districts that have the 3816 postcode, find out more by visiting longwarryhistory.org