He worked at the school, in a tiny township near Ballarat, for less than two weeks before he moved on, beginning a pattern in which he shifted from school to school around the regional city in the state's west.

He travelled to the state's north-east in 1975 and taught at Wodonga's Bandiana Primary School and Melrose Primary School, as well as schools in Beechworth and Myrtleford.

Mr Reynolds taught at almost 15 schools over the course of his career.

It's understood a complaint was made to the education department in 1980 when he was working near Wodonga. He was sent to a local psychiatric ward for treatment and, after he was discharged, continued teaching, working at a further five primary schools.

Another allegation, which he denied, was made to school heads in 1988 when Mr Reynolds was deputy principal and librarian at Beechworth primary. He stayed on at the school until his resignation in 1992.