History Mystery Monday: who was Sam Merrifield?
The public library in Moonee Ponds has been known as “Sam Merrifield Library” since the early 1980s, but who was Sam Merrifield?
Sam Merrifield, a man dedicated to
ideals of fairness, a history fanatic, and a voracious reader, was a very
appropriate person to give his name to a public library. Born in 1904 in Moonee
Ponds, young Sam struggled with hearing difficulties, but used reading as a way
to compensate in his education.
Sam Merrifield worked as a surveyor early in his career, but eventually – influenced both by his experiences during the Depression and the radical politics of his family – he turned to politics. First elected in 1943, when he won the seat of Essendon for the ALP, Merrifield finally retired from politics in 1970. In politics, he is remembered for his quiet tenacity, always representing “the underdog”.
Sam Merrifield is also remembered for his enduring commitment to history, especially local history. In the 1960s Merrifield helped establish the Melbourne branch of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History. He was a meticulous collector and indexer of local history, and, particularly after he retired, history became Merrifield’s driving passion. He was a founding member of the Essendon Historical Society and was active in securing a public library for the local area, and personally donated some items to the libraries’ local history collection.
Sam Merrifield died on the 24th August 1982. In 1983 Essendon Public Library was renamed Sam Merrifield Library in his honour. Nearly forty years later "old Mr Merrifield" is still fondly remembered by some library visitors who tend to fondly recall a very kind, very dedicated, "real" gentleman.
You can read more about Sam Merrifield in his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry.
