| Meeting of the Albury & District Historical Society REIS FAMILY IN ALBURY By Frank Higgins, May 12, 1987 |
George Reis married Catherine Dallinger at Kafertal, Baden, Germany and with three of their children arrived in Sydney October 25, 1852. Land was selected at Mungabareena on the north-east corner of the Aerodrome entrance road and the Riverina Highway in the middle 1850s. Additional land, including some in Victoria on "Reis Island" was also acquired. When George Reis died in 1883, a thriving farm had been established with the help of his wife and children, Conrad, Margaret, Catherine and George. Conrad married Theresa Godde and in around 1876 commenced business as a produce merchant and general storekeeper on the N-E corner Wilson and Macauley Streets. His sons Charles Conrad and George Christopher took over on his death in 1912. Eventually it was sold in 1927. The produce and shipping business was now conducted from the N-W corner Wilson and Macauley streets and the big shed at the Wilson Street Railway siding. The business was sold to the P.D.S. before the death of George Christopher in 1943. George (II) married Lena Godde and stayed on the farm at Mungabareena. During 1893 land was purchased on the S-W corner Smollet and Kiewa Streets for the �Riverina� wine cellars, office and saloon. George (II) and Lena both died in 1896 leaving a young family. Will, who married Corrie Jacobs, went on to establish the C & C Stores in Olive Street. Later premises were bought at 488-490 Dean Street, with �Nothing over 2/6�, with other stores in Corowa and Wangaratta. After the war the Dean Street store was sold and members of the family re-opened the Olive Street store until it was sold to Centrepoint. The Reis family made a significant contribution, in many and various ways to the life and development of Albury. Thanks to Mrs Jean Thompson (Reis) and Mrs Joan Foo (Reis) and other members of the Reis family who attended on the night also to Helen Livsey and Gerry Curtis. MODEL STORE DOME |
| The dome over the main entrance of the model store seems to give the building an eastern flavour. Col Frauenfelder and Arthur Pearsall were able to provide the answer. Mr Reis asked Mr Logan to crown the building with a representation of a wine bottle. Logan�s built it and Tom Pearsall (Arthur�s father) covered it. So the flavour of the building is from the vineyard not the east.
Bulletin 250, June 1987. Albury & District Historical Society, PO Box 822, Albury NSW 2640. |
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