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First
Australian band member
David Charles Henry Reynolds
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The
young band member.
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DAVID
Reynolds, a cornet player, had the honour of being the first Australian
recruited as a member of the RAAF Central Band.
Born in Lithgow, New South Wales on November 29, 1929, David moved
at an early age with his parents, brother and two sisters to Port
Kembla where his father worked in a steel mill.
After finishing school, he worked at the mill and as a rigger.
David enlisted in the Air Force in 1952 and was a founding member
of the Central Band.
During his time in the band, he received a commendation for outstanding
service for his work with the design of a band trailer constructed
to transport band equipment. It was also designed to be air-transportable,
fitting inside a Hercules aircraft.
The dining room table at his home was continually covered with cardboard
models in the pursuit of the perfect design.
It was during his time at Laverton that David met Margaret, a tailoress
in the WRAAF. The two were married in the chapel at Laverton in
1960.
Sergeant David Reynolds spent his final two years in the Air Force
with the Operational Command Band (now Air Command Band) at Richmond
until his discharge in 1974.
At the completion of his service career, David and his family moved
to Bundaberg in Queensland where he took up a job as a teacher of
music with the Education Department.
For 14 years, he taught music at up to 11 schools a week.
David’s musical contribution did not stop there.
He was also the bandmaster for the Rum City Silver Band and in 1977
formed a community band made up of students from the schools at
which he taught.
He then formed the Telstars, another community band for musicians
who had finished school but wanted to continue with their music.
David also arranged music for numerous smaller ensembles, which
enabled many of his students to experience a variety of ensemble
playing.
David gained so much enjoyment from music and he gave so much in
return, to the benefit of the people of Bundaberg.
He died on June 18 and is sadly missed by his wife Margaret, six
children and 15 grandchildren.
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