Alfred Hamish Reed

After several months, there was enough money to buy a block of land at Parahaki, to the east of Whangārei and the family moved there in late December 1887.

Later in the year, he severely injured his leg to the point of being bedridden, with local doctors unable to diagnose the problem for 12 months.

[9] For accommodation, he boarded with a couple who lived on Karangahape Road and made the acquaintance of their daughter, Harriet Isabel Fisher.

Reed quickly found suitable premises for the company's office and began retailing and repairing typewriters.

[16] After a year in Dunedin, and having secured a payrise, Reed returned to Auckland and married Belle at Pitt Street Methodist Church on 28 January 1899.

[18] Reed continued to work on developing the Dunedin branch,[19] which would prove to be the only profitable office for the New Zealand Typewriter Company.

[22] Short of teaching materials, Reed began importing books and literature from suppliers in the United States.

Initially this was for his own school but soon other churches in Dunedin showed interest and Reed started supplying them with excess material from his own orders.

[23] In the meantime, DeRenzy wound up the New Zealand Typewriter Company but before doing so allowed Reed to purchase the Dunedin office on favourable terms.

While the financial reward of his day job was appreciated, Reed's passion was religious education and he saw his mail order business as doing God's work.

[23][24] Sunday School Supply Stores provided a range of goods, from cards, badges, clocks, hymn sheets, blackboards and the like to religious games, as well as Bibles, tracts and testaments.

[26] On the outbreak of the First World War, Reed joined the Territorial Force, New Zealand's part-time military reserve.

Assessed as sufficiently fit for overseas service, he and Belle sold the Sunday School Supply Stores business.

[30] With his strong Christian background, Reed found some aspects of military life difficult, particular the language and lurid storytelling that would occur in the camp's huts at night.

He even distributed a short tract to his hut mates suggesting that if they felt the need to curse, to substitute 'crimson' or 'purple' for swear words.

[31] The 21st Reinforcements were scheduled to depart overseas in early 1917[30] but in December 1916, Reed's shorthand skills were discovered and he was asked to volunteer for the headquarters staff at Featherston Camp.

In the 1948 King's Birthday Honours Reed was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services in connexion with publication of historical and other New Zealand works.

[33] He was promoted to Commander of the same Order (CBE) in the 1962 New Year Honours, in recognition of his contribution as a writer and publisher of New Zealand historical works.