People Australia

Samuel Merrifield, by Leone Mills, 1965

State Library of Victoria, 49388574

Samuel (Sam) Merrifield (1904-1982) surveyor, political and community activist and parliamentarian

Birth: 6 February 1904 at Moonee Ponds, Melbourne, Victoria, son of native-born parents William Merrifield (1864-1935), carpenter, and Sarah, née Semmens (1880-1951). Marriage: 7 March 1936 at Ascot Vale Congregational Church to Margaret Lillian (Lil) Smith (1911-1978), a typiste born at Footscray, Melbourne. They had no children. Death: 24 August 1982 at Parkville, Melbourne; usual residence Waverley Street, Moonee Ponds. Religion: Presbyterian. 

• Grew up at Moonee Ponds. Was educated at Moonee Ponds, West State School, Essendon High School, Taylor’s College and the Workingmen’s College, Melbourne.
• Licensed surveyor 1925. Assistant to H. C Crouch 1920-1926. Worked as surveyor and draftsman with the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board, the Victorian Forests Commission and the Country Roads Board in 1927-1930. He was unemployed from 1931-1935. He was then re-employed with the MMTB in 1935-1939 and worked with the State Electricity Commission in 1940, the Commonwealth Department of the Interior 1940-1943, and Keilor City Councill 1955-1958.
• Joining the Australian Labor Party in 1922, he was an office-bearer in Moonee Ponds branch from 1935, holding positions of treasurer, secretary, president, delegate and campaign director.
• Merrifield was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the seat of Essendon from June 1943 to 1945, then held the seat of Moonee Ponds from 1945 until he was defeated in 1955.
• He was an elected member of the Legislative Council for Doutta Galla from June 1958 until 1970 (retired).
• Minister for public works 1952-1955, he also served on the public works committee 1950-1952, the statute law revision committee 1947-1949, the Royal Botanic Gardens committee 1969 and the Little Desert settlement committee 1969. He was Deputy Leader in the Legislative Council from 1960 to 1970.
• He was president of the Institute of Surveyors 1946 and a fellow in 1947-1964; member of the Victoria Institute of Colleges 1966-1970; vice-president of Victorian Toc H 1950-1970; member of the Essendon Hospital committee 1945-1971; and organiser and treasurer of the Red Cross.
• Founding member of the Essendon Historical Society, he was also a founding member of the Melbourne branch of the Australian Society for Study of Labour History in about 1961. He founded the bulletin, The Recorder, and became a life member of the ASSLH in 1970. He donated his substantial labour history collection to the La Trobe library, the ‘Merrifield Collection’. Essendon library was named after him in 1983.
• He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters (Litt D) by Monash University in 1973.
• An active local sportsman, he was president of Essendon District Football League 1954-1968.
• He visited the United States of America and Europe in 1960, 1965. Author of the ‘Chronicles of Essendon’.
• Cause of death: septicemia (days) and multiple myeloma (years).
• Accorded a State funeral. 

Sources
Geoff Browne, Biographical register of the Victorian Parliament, 1900-84 (Melbourne, 1985); Recorder June 1978, September 1982; Labour History, No. 20, 1971, pp 74-75, No. 44, 1983, p 113.