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Active Tasmania

Mervyn Albert Youd

Member 1994 - Born 3 September 1924 - 18 January 2011

Tasmania has an enviable record in the sport of woodchopping and the Youd family is synonymous with that record. The second family member to be admitted to the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame is Mervyn who, in a career spanning in excess of 30 years, won 205 state, national and world titles in every category of competitive woodchopping.

In 1953 he became the first Tasmanian axeman to win the Britstand Trophy at the Sydney Royal Easter Show - this is presented to the most successful competitor in all the single handed events. Mervyn was a true champion at the block and at one stage held five concurrent Australian records in single events and shared with the late George Foster the 20 inch double handed sawing record, established at Deloraine in 1967 in a time of 11.4 seconds.

He was a great team member and often first selection for several Tasmanian teams, also representing Australia six times and in 1974 was named Captain of the national team at the World Festival of Chopping.

Twenty times Tasmanian captain, Youd stands as one of the great exponents of the sport which Tasmania has dominated since the end of the Second World War.