I have a mystery I'm trying to solve and maybe someone out there can help.
The photo below clearly shows the name H. Reginald, late AIF, Shoeing and General Blacksmith.
I've been told that the photo was taken in about 1923 and that the business was at the rear of McKay's Dairy in Sutherland Street, Coburg and that it was later converted into a motor mechanic's workshop.
The first problem is the possible date. Sands and McDougalls gives the first entry for John McKay at 21 Sutherland Street, Coburg in 1929 and he's there until at least 1942. I can find no reference to H. Reginald, however.
The second problem comes with researching the name H. Reginald. Almost every database I've searched leads to a dead end. If I search for Reginald as a surname, they want to search it as a given name. If I search for Harry Reginald, the same thing happens. Same with H. Reginald.
The exception is that I've found a Harry Reginald, blacksmith, at 527 Sydney Road, Coburg from 1923 to 1925, then the numbering changed and it was 723 to 725 Sydney Road to 1935. (Same address, different numbering. It's just along from the old Fire Station, near Gaffney Street.) This is definitely the man in the photograph. In 1938 the blacksmith's name changed to W.A. Poole then in the 1940s it became a dentist's surgery.
If you look closely at the photograph you'll see the business was at number 527, so this is clearly the right location. Given that the numbering changed in 1926, the photo must have been taken between 1923 and 1925, as my information suggested.
So now I have a name - Harry Reginald - and a place - 527 (and later 723) Sydney Road, Coburg - and some dates - 1923 to 1935, with the photo dating from pre-1926.
I know vaguely what he looks like - I'm assuming that's him on the left in this photograph - and perhaps John McKay is the man on the right, although that's just a guess.
But that's where the trail ends. I can't find any Harry Reginald listed in AIF records. I can't find him on electoral rolls. The Victorian BDM indexes list only one person with the surname Reginald. Newspapers on TROVE do what everything else does - leads me to me who had the given name Reginald. I just don't seem to make any headway on this one.
Any suggestions anyone? I'm at a loss to know where to go next.
