William Ferguson (1891-1961)
Encyclopedia
William John Ferguson was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
for 16 days in 1953 and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1953 until his death. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party
(ALP).
Ferguson was born in Redfern
and was the son of a clothes presser. He was educated to elementary level in Campsie and trained as a letter-setter and printer. He was a member of the Printing Industries Employees Union of Australia
from 1913 and joined the ALP in 1926. He became active in community organizations in the Waverley area including Legacy
and the Australian Red Cross
. Ferguson was elected as an alderman on Waverley Municipal Council
in 1941 and retained this position until 1955. On 3 September 1953, he was indirectly elected to the Legislative Council for the remainder of the term of Charles Anderson who had resigned. However, Clarrie Martin
, the member for Waverley
died 2 days later and Ferguson resigned his seat in the Legislative Council, after serving only 16 days, to contest the resultant by-election. Ferguson was duly elected and retained the seat at the next election in 1956
. The seat and the neighbouring seat of Paddington were abolished and combined into the seat of Paddington-Waverley
at a redistribution before the 1959
election. The Labor member for Paddington, Maurice O'Sullivan retired and Ferguson won the new seat. He died as the sitting member in 1961. He did not hold party, parliamentary or ministerial office.
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
for 16 days in 1953 and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
from 1953 until his death. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
(ALP).
Ferguson was born in Redfern
Redfern, New South Wales
Redfern is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Redfern is 3 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney...
and was the son of a clothes presser. He was educated to elementary level in Campsie and trained as a letter-setter and printer. He was a member of the Printing Industries Employees Union of Australia
Australian Manufacturing Workers Union
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, or more fully, the Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union is an Australian trade union that is registered with the Australian Industrial Relations Commission and is affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade...
from 1913 and joined the ALP in 1926. He became active in community organizations in the Waverley area including Legacy
Legacy Australia
Legacy is an Australian organisation, established in 1923 by ex-servicemen. The organisation has the aim of caring for the dependents of deceased Australian service men and women. The dependants of World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Malayan emergency and Vietnam War deceased are cared for...
and the Australian Red Cross
Australian Red Cross
The Australian Red Cross is one of the many national Red Cross societies around the world. The Australian organisation was established in 1914, nine days after the commencement of World War I, by Karen Tenenbaum, when she formed a branch of the British Red Cross.the organisation grew at a rapid rate...
. Ferguson was elected as an alderman on Waverley Municipal Council
Waverley Municipal Council
Waverley Municipal Council is a Local Government Area in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.- History :...
in 1941 and retained this position until 1955. On 3 September 1953, he was indirectly elected to the Legislative Council for the remainder of the term of Charles Anderson who had resigned. However, Clarrie Martin
Clarrie Martin
Major Clarence Edward Martin was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1930 until 1932 and from 1939 until his death in 1953. He was variously a member of the Australian Labor Party , the Industrial Labor Party and the Australian Labor Party...
, the member for Waverley
Electoral district of Waverley
Waverley was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, originally created in 1894, with the abolition of multi-member constituencies, out of part of Paddington, and named after and including the Sydney suburb of Waverley. In 1920, with the...
died 2 days later and Ferguson resigned his seat in the Legislative Council, after serving only 16 days, to contest the resultant by-election. Ferguson was duly elected and retained the seat at the next election in 1956
New South Wales state election, 1956
The 1956 New South Wales state election was held on 3 March 1956. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1952 redistribution...
. The seat and the neighbouring seat of Paddington were abolished and combined into the seat of Paddington-Waverley
Electoral district of Paddington-Waverley
Paddington-Waverley was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It was created in 1959, when Paddington and part of Waverley were merged. Paddington-Waverley was abolished in 1962 and partly replaced by Bligh.-Members for Paddington-Waverley:...
at a redistribution before the 1959
New South Wales state election, 1959
The 1959 New South Wales state election was held on 21 March 1959. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1957 redistribution...
election. The Labor member for Paddington, Maurice O'Sullivan retired and Ferguson won the new seat. He died as the sitting member in 1961. He did not hold party, parliamentary or ministerial office.