General News
20 October, 2023
A man of fine character
Arnold Merwyn Wardle Family and friends gathered at Warracknabeal Uniting Church on October 11 to farewell Arnold ‘Merwyn’ Wardle following his death at Dunmunkle Lodge 13 days after his 99th birthday. Merwyn, eldest child of Frank and Irene...
Arnold Merwyn Wardle
Family and friends gathered at Warracknabeal Uniting Church on October 11 to farewell Arnold ‘Merwyn’ Wardle following his death at Dunmunkle Lodge 13 days after his 99th birthday.
Merwyn, eldest child of Frank and Irene Wardle, was born on September 16 1924.
As Merwyn grew, the family, including younger brothers Royce, Tex and Lance, lived at Oakville on Wardle Road West.
When he was six the family moved into Brim, where he attended Brim Primary School.
Always interested in electrical things, he even made a crystal set.
He attended Stawell Technical School and during World War II joined the air force as an auto electrician, serving in Adelaide, Mount Gambier and Darwin.
Following the Japanese bombings, he was handed a rifle and when in charge of prisoners of war directed "if they make a run for it, shoot them".
His immediate reply was “if they run, they can keep running” as he had trouble shooting a rabbit unless he was going to eat it.
After his discharge in 1945, Mr Wardle worked as an auto electrician in St Kilda and while travelling home by train met fellow passenger Mary Lang of Wilkur South.
A romance followed and the couple married in Warracknabeal Baptist Church on December 21 1946.
His father requested his return to the family farm so the couple relocated to Oakville in 1948, later welcoming the births of sons Garry and Neville.
Merwyn bought 734 acres nearby in 1949 and erected a three-bedroom transportable home on the property, dubbed Nevgarwyn Park.
During their 10 years in that home a third son, Terrence, was born.
He bought another 200 acres in 1962 and a year later moved into a renovated double brick home, named Nevgarwyn Terrace.
After a decade the couple moved to Warracknabeal and Merwyn took a job at Ben Bentley’s fuel depot.
Later, wanting to be nearer their sons, they bought a unit on the beach in Maroochydore, Queensland, where they lived before eventually returning to Warracknabeal.
Merwyn was involved with Brim Fire Brigade for more than 30 years and enjoyed a number of sports, including bowls at Brim Bowling Club and cricket, plus attending dances with wife Mary.
Fastidious about motor cars, Merwyn's first vehicle was a second-hand 1930s Austin with a fishtail back named Beetle.
This was bought, it's believed, to impress his wife.
However, Mary was often required to push it up hills.
One Christmas his wife's present was a new-fangled pigs-snout water trough, beautifully wrapped into a large parcel.
Unfortunately it was the sole gift for her that year and the stony silence for the next fortnight was deafening.
As a regular churchgoer, Merwyn was renowned for letting the minister know if he strayed from Church of Christ teachings.
But, he was also renowned for taking a nap in church.
Merwyn Wardle is remembered as a man of fine character, hardy and robust, who was greatly esteemed by all who knew him.
He is survived by three sons, 12 grandchildren, four step-grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.