# Ian Griffith
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{{Short description|Australian politician (1925–1992)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific_prefix =
|name = Ian Griffith
|honorific_suffix =
|image= Ian Griffith.png
|order = [Chief Secretary of New South Wales](/source/Chief_Secretary_of_New_South_Wales)
|term_start = 19 June 1972
|term_end = 3 January 1975
|predecessor = [Eric Willis](/source/Eric_Willis)
|successor = [Peter Coleman](/source/Peter_Coleman)
|constituency =
|majority =
|birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1925|9|25}}
|birth_place = [Caulfield, Victoria](/source/Caulfield%2C_Victoria)
|death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1992|11|8|1925|9|25}}
|death_place = [Gold Coast, Queensland](/source/Gold_Coast%2C_Queensland)
|party = [Liberal](/source/New_South_Wales_Liberal_Party)
}}
'''Ian Ross Griffith''' (25 September 1925 – 8 November 1992) was an Australian politician and a member of the [New South Wales Legislative Assembly](/source/New_South_Wales_Legislative_Assembly) from 1956 until 1978. He was a member of the [Liberal Party](/source/New_South_Wales_Liberal_Party) and held ministerial positions in the governments of Sir [Robert Askin](/source/Robert_Askin) and [Eric Willis](/source/Eric_Willis).
==Early life==
Griffith was born in [Caulfield, Victoria](/source/Caulfield%2C_Victoria) and was the son of a chemical analyst. He was educated at [Melbourne High School](/source/Melbourne_High_School_(Victoria)) and worked as a bank officer for the [National Bank of Australasia](/source/National_Australia_Bank) eventually becoming a public relations officer in Sydney. During the Second World War, he served with the [Royal Australian Navy](/source/Royal_Australian_Navy) and reached the rank of Lieutenant.[{{cite NSW Parliament |id=1849 |former=Yes |title=Mr Ian Ross Griffith (1925-1992) |access-date=8 June 2019}}]
==Political career==
Griffith entered the New South Wales parliament at the [1956 election](/source/1956_New_South_Wales_state_election) as the Liberal member for [Sutherland](/source/Electoral_district_of_Sutherland). He defeated the sitting Labor member, [Tom Dalton](/source/Tom_Dalton), who won the seat in a surprise result at the [previous election](/source/1953_New_South_Wales_state_election).[{{Cite NSW election |title=Elections for the district of Sutherland |year=DistrictIndexes |district=Cronulla |access-date=3 September 2019}}] The Liberal Party's hold on Sutherland was adversely affected by a redistribution at the [1959 election](/source/1959_New_South_Wales_state_election) and Griffith successfully contested the new and safer seat of [Cronulla](/source/Electoral_district_of_Cronulla).He retained the seat until he lost the Liberal Party's endorsement before the [1978 election](/source/1978_New_South_Wales_state_election) and retired from public life.[{{Cite NSW election |title=Elections for the district of Cronulla |year=DistrictIndexes |district=Cronulla |access-date=3 September 2019}}]
Griffith was promoted to the position of Chief Secretary and Minister for [Tourism](/source/List_of_New_South_Wales_Government_Agencies), under Sir Robert Askin, between 1972 and 1975. He was demoted to the backbench when Askin retired and was succeeded as Premier by [Tom Lewis](/source/Tom_Lewis_(Australian_politician)) but was appointed as the Minister for [Housing](/source/Housing_NSW) in the short lived government of [Eric Willis](/source/Eric_Willis) between January and May 1976.