Thomas Sadler Reed (22 May 1818 – 25 April 1914) was a Civil Servant in the British colony of South Australia, and long-serving secretary of the State's branch of the Royal Geographical Society.
Around 1860 he and his family moved to London, living in Kensington until 1866 when, seeking a healthier climate, he emigrated to Australia, arriving in Adelaide, where his wife's brother Richard D. Hanson was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and an ex-Premier in November 1866.
After a few days in the Adelaide, Reed took a trip up north, where the climate proved so beneficial to his health that his lung problems vanished completely.
On 3 February 1867, through the influence of Hanson, Reed was appointed chairman of the Destitute Board, a new position which had the effect of demoting the long-serving secretary Edward Holthouse, who thereby lost £80 from his salary.
[1] With public approval and encouraging results from a few trials, plus the prospect of a substantial saving of government money, "boarding-out" became official policy and was adopted by Reed, whose enthusiasm and dedication to its success was welcomed by Clark.
[8] In 1888 a Commission, led by S. D. Glyde and consisting of H. E. Bright, David Bews, R. Homburg, W. E. Longbottom and A. L. Harrold, was charged with reporting on efficiency of the Civil Service.
[13] Reed subsequently devoted himself to the South Australian branch of the Royal Geographical Society, serving as its secretary 1903–1914, and did much to further its aims.
He made a surprisingly rapid recovery, but a few weeks later he was knocked down by a railway engine in front of the Victoria Square station, but was not injured.
He was already 92 years of age when I became president, and throughout my term of office he showed for his work an industry and enthusiasm that would have been creditable in a man with his career still to make.