OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Company Histories L.W. Griffiths - Ipswich - c1944

Hello ODK History Lovers

This is a story about a survivor.
Imagine a garden products company that survives to this day, at the
same premises, and it is now almost eighty years of age!

Previously, I have shown images of his Ipswich show stand(s) on these forums HERE.



The small business of L.W. Griffiths is well known in the Ipswich area south-west of
Brisbane, and It was founded by ‘Lew’ Griffiths by accident.
... More correctly, by an accident.

It was a chance find of a 1966 Victa News Cuttings article on the company
that paved the way for further research.

This article pays tribute to the early years of the company.
The starting point is the 1966 Victa article …




TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART TWO – The 1940s
Lew Griffiths experienced a frightening incident in 1942, and suffered
a terrible accident at a RAAF facility in 1943. After some time in hospital
he was discharged and returned back home.

The earliest advert I have is a classified ad for the sale of a car, a 1926
Essex Super Six. I’m guessing that was Lew’s home address at the time
[132 Station Road, Booval], and I guess that the selling of the Essex was
to part-finance a new venture – a lawnmower repair shop.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essex_(automobile)



The earliest ad for the business dates to late 1945, and just down
the road, at the corner of Station and Glebe roads. This is why
I date the business to c1944 … Lew begins business at home
and then moves to a local business address.



This makes sense to me; considering that just a bit later this newsprint advert appears: -



The above ad is fantastic in that it puts the 1966 Victa article [Part 1]
into a fuller context!

This is all about accidents! It’s a ‘falling into a career story’.
After discharge from the RAAF, Lew buys a lathe for ‘occupational therapy’.
A friend then asks Lew to sharpen his pushie.

Lew used his mechanical ability to create a self-designed
grinding machine for reel lawnmowers! The rest is history.

I should remind folk that - during the war years – there were no
lawnmower imports, nor local production (except for specific goals,
like airfield mowers). Imported or local spare parts were, likewise
prohibited. Reel grinding machines were imported and also banned.
Everything went to the war effort. Lew had to do everything himself!

Lew was ambitious. He not only collected and delivered pushies with
his bike and sidecar, but he had an ‘arrangement’ with another
Ipswich business …



It would appear that for a short period, Lew would advertise as
The Ipswich Lawnmower Sharpening and Repairing Service.

Very quickly, Lew would revert back to L.W. Griffiths and that
famous slogan, “The Lawnmower Specialists.”



The last newsprint ad I have from the 1940s dates to 1947.
Note that Lew’s business pre-dates the rotary revolution that
would soon make itself know in Australia and New Zealand.

However, note that the firm was fitting petrol motors to pushies
by this time. That is an important point – because my reality
is that power lawnmowing was first made available to the
working class via powered reel mowers, not rotaries.

Australia rotary lawnmowers would have their day ...
but a bit later.



TO BE CONTINUED ...