David Fyfe Griffiths
1873-1941
Information on this page is provided for research purposes
only.
Current copyright holder information is attached
to each full sized image.
For information on reproducing any of the text or images
please see the Copyright
page.
David Fyfe Griffiths by
Vivian Hill
Text copyright held by Vivan Hill. For more information see the
Copyright
page
When I was a lad I served a term
As an office boy to an Attorney's firm,
I cleaned the windows and swept the floor,
And I polished up the handle on the big front door.
I polished up the handle so carefullee
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navee.
When he was 15 years old David Griffiths started off work as an
office boy in the Geelong branch of the long established legal firm of
Taylor Buckland and Gates. At 18 he was assisting in the Transfer
of Land Act department. Subsequently he looked after probate matters,
travelled to Melbourne to lodge documents at the Registrar's office and
was in charge of the common law (litigation) part of the business.
In 1897 he was one of ten law students in Geelong, all attempting to qualify
without the benefit of local lecturers or correspondence assistance from
Melbourne University.
In 1889 T.C. Harwood and his partner F.R. Pincott took over Taylor Buckland
and Gates and by November 1901, David Griffiths had became a partner in
the combined firm. He had married earlier the same year.
Perhaps David Griffiths was not as successful as Gilbert and Sullivan's
Sir Joseph Porter but his start as an office boy in an Attorney's firm
led to a successful career. He and his partners E.E. Wilson and R.B.
Cook built up Harwood and Pincott to a dominant position among Geelong
legal firms. His obituary lodged in this collection records his many
contributions to the welfare of Geelong youth.
Arrangement of material
The list below describes material held in the David Fyfe Griffiths
archive box, which is located at 340.099452 Griffi Hil/Dfg on the shelves in
the Geelong Lawyers' Collection within the Special Collection at the Waterfront
campus. The material has been arranged in date order.
Additional note:
-
David Fyfe Griffiths is also mentioned in the following archive box.
Harwood and Pincott
- agreement F.R. Pincott, D.F. Griffiths, E.E. Wilson 1/11/1901
- agreement F.R. Pincott, D.F. Griffiths, E.E. Wilson, H.P. Douglass
14/12/1901
- agreements F.R. Pincott, D.F. Griffiths, E.E. Wilson, H.P.
Douglass 14/5/1909
- registration of firm Harwood & Pincott
- summary history of firm by R. Annois
[Top of page]
| 
