The Griffiths Family Home Page - Thomas Bowen Griffiths:Information about Mervyn Griffiths
Mervyn Griffiths (b. 15 Oct 1915, d. 09 May 1988)
Notes for Mervyn Griffiths:Mervyn Griffiths, 15 October 1915 to 9 May 1988- 73 Years,Born Ballarat, Cremated Ballarat.
1915 Mervyn was born the 7th child of Henry Isaac and Esther (nee Parry) Griffiths. The family were all resident at Chestervale, Meredith which his father H Isaac bought in 1903 when brother Tom was 1yo and sister Gwladys was 3 years old,moving from the Griffiths Yawong/Coonooer property near St Arnaud.
1918 (3yo) Brothers Tom and Ivor left school to work on the family property at Meredith, share farming, shearing and cropping with other local graziers. The boys were to have attended Geelong College but there was a severe flu epidemic in this year, causing this change of plans.
1919 Electoral Roll indicates H Isaac and Esther at Meredith (and no doubt with the family members), Uncle John (63yo) grazier at Yawong and Uncle Ivor (55yo) grazier at Natte Yallock.
1921 (6yo) Mervyn started school at the Meredith Primary School where he walked the 3 miles to and from school with his brothers and sister across fields and a creek,taking the road way when the creek was swollen.
1924 Electoral Roll indicates father and mother Isaac and Esther,sister Gwladys (24yo) and brother Tom (22yo),
all voted at Meredith (Ivor (20yo), Wilf (17yo), Jessie 12yo) and Merv (9yo) too young to vote).Uncle John (68yo) still a grazier at Yawong and Uncle Ivor (60yo) still a grazier at Natte Yallock.
1924 August Jessie Mary at age 12 died in Geelong Hospital after a failed appendix operation.She was buried at Meredith Cemetery.
1926 August Merv's sister Gwladys (26yo) married Hugh McNaughton and moved to his home property at Oakhurst Ceres.Tragically,Hugh contracted pneumonia and died in the first week of October,leaving Gwladys a widow in a matter of weeks of her marriage.
1926 H Isaac (66yo) and Esther (53yo),together with Meryvn (11yo) moved into a new stately house at 61 The Esplanade, Drumcondra.Merv transferred from the Meredith Primary School to the North Geelong Primary School, just a few blocks away from this new home.
1929 (14yo) Eldest brother Tom married Mary Weddell and took his new bride to live at Chestervale, Meredith where she cooked and cared for the Griffiths boys still living there and tending the property - Wilf, Ivor and David.
Sister Gwladys moved from Chestervale into the family home at Drumcondra to take care of their ailing parents. Mervyn living at Drumcondra,attending the Gordon Technical School,Geelong, completing a Wool Classing Certificate.
1930 (15yo) Tom and Mary have their first child, Jean, born at Ballarat and return to Chestervale.Jean is the first grandchild for H Isaac and Esther.
1931 (16yo) Electoral Roll indicates Uncle John (75yo) at Yawong, Uncle Ivor (67yo) at Natte Yallock, David (21yo)now at Mirboo North Gippsland dairy farm owned by Uncle Ivor,Tom (29yo) Labourer and wife Mary, Ivor H (27yo) Labourer,and Wilf (24yo) Labourer all at Meredith and H Isaac (71yo), Esther (58yo) and Gwladys (31yo) at Drumcondra.
Mervyn met Mavis when they were both at the Gordon Technical School, her completing a Dressmaking course.
Mervyn would frequently dink Mavis home to her parent's house just around the corner from the Griffiths family home at 61 The Esplanade, Drumcondra.
On occasions when Mavis had to leave home early,she would twist a twig up in the front hedge at 61 The Esplanade to indicate to Merv that she had already gone past.Gwladys (Merv's older sister) told how she used to see twigs sticking up and tidy them by pushing them back into the hedge!
Merv and Mavis would often walk into the Geelong shopping centre together.
Year ? Mervyn gained the qualification as a Registered Wool Classer,
1935 (20yo) Brother Ivor married Berta in Melbourne and they moved to the Natte Yallock property owned jointly by Uncle Johnand Uncle Ivor.
1936 Electoral Roll (21yo) indicates Uncle John grazier at Yawong, Uncle Ivor grazier, Ivor H grazier and wife Berta, and brother Wilf (29yo) Labourer all at Natte Yallock and H Isaac retired, Esther and Gwladys home duties at Drumcondra. Brother David is listed as a Labourer at the Mirboo North property. (Mervyn (21yo) did not vote)
1937 (22yo) Brother David (27yo) was shot and killed in a shooting accident at Mirboo North on the Griffiths property and buried at Meredith alongside his sister Jessie.
1937 Uncle John (81yo) died and was buried at St Arnaud.He Willed the Yawong property to his brothers Ivor making Ivor and H Isaac joint owners.
1937?Sophia, John's estranged daughter made claim to 50% of the Yawong cash and asserts and was subsequently bought out by H Isaac who subsequently transferred the Yawong property ownership to Tom and Ivor
1937 Brother Wilf (30yo) married Margaret Gordon and took his new bride to live at his portion of the Yawong property.Tom's property ownership was changed to Meredith and Wilf took the Coonooer share when he married.
1939Uncle Ivor (75yo) died in Melbourne and was buried in Meredith.He died without making a Will and so theMirboo North property had to be sold, as did the Natte Yallock property, the latter, involving some underhanded dealings by the sellers and purchasers.
1942 Oct 13 (27yo) Mervyn signed up for WWII, enlisting at Maribynong Vic. He held the rank of Craftsman and was a mechanic during his time of service,applying the knowledge he had learned during his time on the farm and at the Gordon Tech School, in addition to training he received in the Army.He served in Darwin.Service No. VX112456.
Mervyn was the only Griffiths son to serve in the Military Forces as the other boys were involved with primary produce.
1944 Mervyn (29yo) married Mavis Charlotte Pettitt at St George's Presbyterian Church, Geelong.
1944 saw 4 years of drought across Victoria.
1945 Nov 13 (30yo) Mervyn was discharged from the Army.
Tom gave 400 acres of the Coonooer property to Mervyn on his return from the War.Merv chose not to farm at Yawong and sold this section of the property to purchase 1,000 acres at 'Woodbank' Mt Mercer near Meredith. (Needs clarification)
Pre 1948 ?Mervyn won a Victorian rifle Association Medal along with his father H Isaac and older brother Ivor.
1948 (33yo) Merv's father, H Isaac (88yo) died of colon cancer and was buried in Meredith in the family plot.
1951 Peter Mervyn was born at Geelong,the first child of Merv (36yo) and Mavis and the second boy to be born in this generation to carry onthe Griffiths name, the other being Ronald Ivor, born to brother Ivor H.
1951 Brother Ivor (47yo) left the Coonooer property to settle in Strachan Avenue, Manifold Heights Geelong West with his family.
1958 August Merv (43yo) and Mavis had a second son, Allan Leslie, but much time was spent in the Children's Hospital until 10 months later, in June of 1959, Allan died of "causes unknown."
1961 (46yo) Brother Wilf (54yo) suddenly collapsed and died at St Arnaud.
1962 Brother Ivor purchased a small property at Elaine,near to Merv's Mt Mercer property.
1965 Wilf's Coonooer property was auctioned ending an era of Yawong district land ownership by the Griffiths family.
1978 (63yo) Peter married Helen Maree Doran at Ballarat
1981 (66yo) Merv and Mavis' first grandchild was born at Ballarat - Jocelyn Maree
1982 (67yo) Luke Peter was born at Ballarat - their second grandchild and a male to carry on the Griffiths name.
1988 May Mervyn (73yo) suffered a massive heart attack at this home at Mt Mercer and died.He was buried at Ballarat.
Alas, with son Peter (37yo) not interested in farming the property,yet another Griffiths property went under the hammer.
1988 11/11"Clearing Sale Woodbank" Mt Mercer via Rokewood"Owing to property having been leased" , Farmmachinery, Plant, Workshop Machinery, Tools,Household Effects and Sundries.
More About Mervyn Griffiths:
Burial: Cremated at Ballarat Vic.
Military service: Bet. 13 Oct 1942 - 13 Nov 1945, Australian Army Service No. VX112456.
More About Mervyn Griffiths and Mavis Charlotte Pettitt:
Marriage: 15 Jul 1944, St Georges Presbyterian Church Geelong Vic.
Children of Mervyn Griffiths and Mavis Charlotte Pettitt are:
- +Peter Mervyn Griffiths, b. 12 Aug 1951, Geelong Vic.
- Alan Leslie Griffiths, b. 19 Jun 1958, Ballarat Vic, d. 11 Apr 1959, Melbourne Vic Died at 10 months old.