Heywood, Reginald Harriman, LVSc 1916, BVSc 1922

REGINALD HARRIMAN HEYWOOD, B.V.Sc.

The older members of the veterinary profession in Victoria and his many friends in England learnt with regret of the sudden death of Reginald Harriman Heywood at Kew, Victoria on 27 march 1967.

Reg Heywood, the elder son of the late W.R. Heywood, Assistant Clerk of Parliament, was born at East Malvern on 4 June 1889 and was educated at Melbourne Grammar School, where he was a prominent athlete.  He commenced his veterinary course at Melbourne University in 1914, and graduated B.V.Sc in 1916.  He joined the A.I.F. as Captain in the Australian Army Veterinary Corps and served in France and Belgium for two years, commanding the 4th Mobile Veterinary Section.

On his return to Australia he commenced private practice at Dandenong, and in 1921 joined what is now the Commonwealth Department of Primary Industries.  In 1928 he succeeded the late Ross Grant as Commonwealth Veterinary Officer for the Department in London.  He returned to Australia in 1936 at a time when the Australian Meat Board was in the process of formation.  Reg Haywood was appointed as the Board’s overseas representative and took up duty in London at the end of 1936.  In this position, which he occupied with distinction until 1957, he served on numerous international committees and dealt with many wartime problems associated with the Australian meat export trade.  During this period he was elected to membership of both the Meat Institute and the Institute of Refrigeration and was made a Freeman of the City of London.

He lived in retirement in England until 1964, when he returned to settle permanently in Melbourne.  Unfortunately by this time both he and his wife were in ill-health, and he was not able to lead a very active life.  His wife predeceased him by only a few months.

Reg Haywood was a man endowed with charm of manner and tact, characteristics which were invaluable in dealing with the personalities involved in the meat industry.

He also was a gifted artist and for many years he sent Christmas cards to his friends embodying an original black and white sketch of some historical subject.

It is understood that he was engaged in writing a book on livestock breeding and the meat industry, which was almost ready for publication at his death.

Our sympathy is extended to his sister, Miss M.I. Heywood of Cheltenham, Victoria.