Guyetts Funerals history

 

 

In 1884, the Guyett family migrated from England to Melbourne. They later settled in Numurkah and in 1887 moved to Maryborough, where our great-grandfather, Thomas George Guyett, worked for a firm of funeral directors, or ‘undertakers’ as they were then known.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1905, Thomas George and his wife, Lillian, who had 13 children moved to Port Fairy where he started a number of businesses including a funeral service; a building and contracting business that built the Glaxo factory, churches and homes; an iron mongers business; and a furniture shop that sold prestige furniture.

The funeral business was named ‘Guyett & Sons: Undertakers’.

The motto of the firm today is the same as it was in 1905:

“With dignity, reverence and service”

 

 

 

During World War 1, like many young men of their generation, four of the Guyett men went off to war as a part of the Australian Imperial Force. They would return as Lt Albert Edward Guyett, Sgt William Bertram Guyett, Pte Norman Francis Guyett and Pte Ernest Paul Guyett.

 

While they were absent, their sister, Lillian ‘Victoria’ Guyett, took on a more prominent role in the family business, The greater role she took on while her brothers were away was a role that she continued upon their return. ‘Victoria’ was a bookkeeper in the family business and went on to own a one-third share of the Guyetts Furniture store. During the war years, Athol ‘Pat’ Leishman who had left school at this time aged just 14 began to work for the Guyett family for                                                                           45 years. His wife Margaret Leishman at times worked in the business as well.

 

 

 

 

Until 1930, our coffins were made on site at Princess Street, Port Fairy. It was often referred to by locals as ‘Coffin Alley’. Our grandfather, John Blackwell Guyett, moved from Port Fairy to Warrnambool around 1925 in order to set up a Warrnambool branch of the business. His brothers, Bert and Ernest Guyett, remained in Port Fairy.

 

 

 

 

 

Again, during World War 2 members of the family heeded their country’s call with Ernest ‘Jack’ Guyett joining the Army and Jack’s younger brother Lindsay Guyett joining the Airforce. After spending five years away at War, Ernest ‘Jack’ Guyett returned to his role in the business.

 

 

 

 

 

In 1946, with our great-uncle Bert at the helm, the funeral business purchased a site at 224 Timor Street in Warrnambool. The family recognised that Warrnambool was growing, more so than Port Fairy. Our parents, Jack and Marj Guyett, purchased the funeral business and the premises from other family members in 1959.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great-uncle Bert retired in the early 1960s.

 

 

 

 

 

In February 1968 Guyetts did their first state funeral for Sir Ronald Mack, a former President of the Victorian Legislative Council. Sir Ronald was an accountant and a politician, who was born on 20 May 1904 in Warrnambool. He was a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

On 29 May 1940, he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. Based in the Middle East from March 1941, he rose to sergeant and was twice mentioned in dispatches for his work with the 9th Division Special Group which trained reinforcements.

He was transferred to the 2nd/24th Battalion in September 1942 which had been formed in July of 1940 from primarily Victorian volunteers and he was promoted acting company sergeant major.

Returning to Warrnambool, he became secretary of the Warrnambool Permanent Building and Investment Society and resumed the practice of accountancy, forming Mack, Lohrey & Purcell. He involved himself heavily in civic and sporting activities, and was the Secretary (later the President) of the Warrnambool Club.

 

As Minister for Health from 26 July 1961 to 14 September 1965 in Sir Henry Bolte’s governments, he chiefly concerned himself with the mentally ill and the aged. He then succeeded Sir Gordon McArthur as the President of the Legislative Council and in 1967 was consequently knighted, Warrnambool’s first.

 

 

 

 

In the early 1970s, Alice Guyett and Brian Guyett joined the family business.

 

 

 

 

 

In February, 1977 Guyetts did their second state funeral which was for Sir David Fletcher Jones, more commonly known as ‘Sir Fletcher Jones’ who was a prominent nationally recognised businessman and known for his generous community involvement.

His funeral cortege was one of the largest ever seen in Warrnambool’s history. For his funeral there were two hearses: one for Sir Fletcher Jones and another hearse completely filled with flowers given to the family. As the cortege went past the Fletcher Jones factory at ‘Pleasant Hill’ in Warrnambool, more than 1,000 employees stopped work to come out and pay their respects, which was a momentous sight and of such a size that it has been suggested that it may never be seen again in Warrnambool.

 

 

 

 

 

Jack Guyett passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in December 1986 and Alice and Brian continued to run the funeral home as a family business with their mother, Marj, at the helm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the early 1990s, we renovated the Timor Street building while at the same time continuing dad’s dream of finding a new and more spacious home for the business. The business continued to grow and in 2002 we purchased our Mortlake branch from Barry Christian. Christians in Mortlake was established in 1906 which we later closed about 15 years later.

 

 

 

 

 

After mum’s death in 2007 and after more than 60 years in Timor Street, we found an ideal new location on Raglan Parade in east Warrnambool, and in August 2008 we purchased the former McDonald’s Restaurant site.

The change of business application and building permit were processed and approved by the Warrnambool City Council and the construction of the first stage of our three-stage premises started in January 2009, just five months after settlement.

 

 

 

 

Our new site, known as Eastern Park, was officially opened on September 4, 2009. It was named in recognition of the land’s earlier history as Eastern Dairies that had been run by the Ryan Family. Stage two, which was our garages and storage area, was completed in March 2011.

Our first meeting with the Warrnambool City Council for stage three, the chapel, was held in January 2010. From there, architect Matthew Morse finalised plans, which were put to tender, and we started construction of the chapel. The Guyetts Funerals Warrnambool chapel was built by Bolden Constructions and officially opened on May 9, 2014.

Our site now offers a stand-alone funeral home and a stand-alone funeral chapel and refreshments venue.

In 2013, Alice Guyett-Wood’s daughter, Megan Wood, joined the family business becoming the 5^th generation to work for Guyetts Funerals.

In January of 2026, Alice Guyett-Wood bought her brother, Brian Guyett, out of his half share in the family business. At this time, both Brian and Alice had worked in the business for 53 years, with both eclipsing the previous longest serving family member in the funeral business, their father, Jack Guyett, who was in the funeral business for 51 years.

Throughout the decades and generations, the Guyett family and employees have taken care of families and continue to do so.