“The lanky police constable”
Elwin Griggs served in the Queensland police force as a constable, where his bush skills were useful in several searches in the Cairns hinterland. The lanky Griggs was a keen all-round sportsman playing rugby league, tennis and sprinting.
He grew up inland from Maroochydore where his father was a sawmiller and dairy farmer. His brother Les was also a champion axeman. Elwin won his first title at 15 years of age.
Elwin’s passion for the sport was such that in 1952 he took his first leave for two years and travelled 1168 miles (1800 km) for a woodchop win in the Ekka (Royal Queensland Show). Nor did operations or injuries slow him. In 1954 he drove 1000 miles to Brisbane in four days, after competing in Tully, Townsville and Cairns just a few months after an appendix operation. In 1964 he cut off a piece of his big toe at the Royal Adelaide Show.
As well as competing, Elwin supported, trained and fostered many future champion axemen, including Harold and Bruce Winkel, Col Schafferius and Martin O’Toole.
In 1966, the year he toured England with the Australian team, he held four world titles: the 15” underhand, 12” hard hitting, 25” double handed sawing and the 15” single handed sawing. Elwin always boasted how he was on personal terms with the Royal Family. He met and chopped for Queen Elizabeth, Prince Phillip, Princess Margaret and Princess Alexandra. He could never reply with a one-word answer – there was always a joke or two thrown in to “spice up” a story. One member of the touring team said of Prince Philip, “He’s a pretty good bloke alright, but he doesn’t know much about woodchopping.” Could it have been Elwin?