My Grandfather

LINDAY JAMES PRITCHARD

BORN: 2 JUNE 1899

FAMILY

Married Lily Diment and they lived at 2 Victoria Avenue Medindie

until his death in February 1978.

They had 3 daughters – Nina (Woolford), Helen (Smith), June

(Howie)

My mother was Helen Merle Smith (nee Pritchard), born 13

December 1920

My grandfather worked as a “print estimator” at Vardon Price

Printers in Grote Street.

He had three great loves in his life – his family, his church at

Highbury Street Methodist…and football. The photo of the 1940

Prospect Methodist Premiership Football team from 1914 is a

treasure, depicting Lindsay Pritchard top row, 3rd from the right. I

love his formal suit and tie!

In my youth I remember going to the football with my “Pa”,

always with a kitbag filled with chewing gum (“chewies”), oranges

and the all-important bell to signify the end of quarters. My

greatest treat was to be allowed to ring the bell! The home

ground was in the north parklands, near the corner of Robe

Terrace and Main North Road.

He continued as an administrator with the team for many years:

In this photo he is described as “Vice President”

My father, John Smith is second row on the right

One of the more interesting things he did was in 1936, the

Centenary of South Australia. Each week, the Advertiser

published plans from which to build a model of “The Buffalo”.

He gave this lovely model to me, together with a copy of the plans

– I’ve subsequently gifted it to the SA Maritime Museum.

For many years, he was the Sunday School Superintendent at

Highbury Street Methodist. I remember both my grandparents as

kind, loving people, always with time for “us kids” and devoted to

helping others.