G. M. Evan

Griffith Mostyn Evan (1863 – 25 December 1924), generally referred to as G. M. Evan or Mostyn Evan, was a lawyer and sports administrator in South Australia.

History

Evan was born in Adelaide the fourth son of the Rev. Cadwallader William Evan ( – 22 August 1876), first minister in charge of Stow Memorial Church, and educated at Prince Alfred College. Having decided on a career with the law, he was articled to C. C. Kingston, K.C., and in 1890 entered into partnership with Hiram W. Varley, as Varley and Evan, with which firm he remained all his life.

In his youth Evan was a keen Australian Rules footballer, and when the North Adelaide Juniors, of which he was a member, joined with North Park to form the Adelaide Football Club, he was a member of the first eighteen. He played soccer for South Adelaide, the team that boasted C. C. Kingston as a member. He played junior cricket with Kensington, and when that team amalgamated with the Austral Club and joined the first grade in 1886, Evan was appointed a delegate to the Cricket Association. That was the start of a lifelong involvement in cricket administration, not only in South Australia; but also at a national level; he was a member of the first Australian Cricket Council, held in 1892, along with H. Y. Sparks, W. O. Whitridge, and G. Giffen. He was also a member of the first Board of Control of Australian cricket and its successor, so he had the distinction of having sat in every Australian board appointed to control international cricket. He succeeded J. W. Collins as treasurer of the association, and was followed in turn by B. V. Scrymgour. For many years Evan acted as chairman of the ground and finance committee of the association, and he also acted as president, then elected to the position in 1920 when Sir Edwin Smith died. He was for many years a trustee of the S.A.C.A., and a member of the finance committee until a year before his death. Mr. Evan was also closely identified with lacrosse and bowls, and was one of the first presidents of the Adelaide Oval Bowling Club. For 22 years he was president of the Lacrosse Association, succeeded around 1920 by in that position by Mr. H. W. Hodgetts around 1920. He was at one time also president of the League of South Australian Wheelmen, the leading sports cycling association. He was also involved in athletics; for 27 years he acted as judge at the inter-collegiate sports meetings. Away from sports, he was for two years a member of the Adelaide City Council.^[1]

Family

Among G. M. Evan's four or five brothers and two sisters were: Cadwallader Burton Evan, of Millswood, and Mrs. A. W. Pettit, of Kent Town.

He married Lilie Nellnell Bagot (2 July 1867 – ), third daughter of Edward Meade Bagot (1822–1886) on 7 October 1891. They had a daughter, Mrs. L. Gliddon

References