BIO

Identifying a mystery player “H.W. Ferguson” was no easy task. Researchers Phil Robins and Dee Cox spent four full years trying to identify him before Chris Brown and Mark Giles were able to ascertain that in fact “H.W. Ferguson” was in fact two brothers – Walter George and Albert Ferguson.

Walter George Ferguson was born to William and Emma (nee Brooks) Ferguson on 23 May 1880 in Dalkey, South Australia (near Balaklava). His brother Albert, who played for Norwood in 1900, was born four years prior. 

By the late 1800s the family was living in North Kensington. Electorate football was introduced by the South Australian Football Association in 1897 and made compulsory in 1899. The East Torrens Football Association was established in 1898 to provide a pathway for junior clubs to develop players who could go on to play for Norwood as the “Senior” club.  One of the foundation clubs in East Torrens was College Park. Match reports show that a “Ferguson” playing for College Park that season, who may have been Walter George Ferguson. “Ferguson” was well performed for College Park and that form may have seen him “called up” to debut for Norwood in the semi-final against South Adelaide at Adelaide Oval that season. Ferguson duly saluted his call up, being named Norwood’s best player in his debut match. 

The 1899 season is a bit clearer. W.G. Ferguson was named in both the Minutes of the Norwood Football Club, and the SAFA player registrations for that season for Norwood. His address was recorded as “Ruthven Street, North Kensington”, (now Magill). 

In Round 2 against South Adelaide, W.G. Ferguson “was in great form” and, with a few other key team mates, “kept the ball right among the forwards”. He was named in the best players. In the game against Port Adelaide on 15 July, Ferguson (and others) “were unable to stem the tide” of the Ports. Ferguson did kick a goal himself though., “with a running kick”, to put Norwood in front at three quarter time. 

End of season reports show that Ferguson kicked two goals for Norwood in 1899. However, it seems that this was his final season of League football at Norwood. 

In 1900, Ferguson played for the Payneham Football Club. Research by Payneham FC Historian Peter Herbert indicates that Payneham and College Town/College Park often shared players (who would play for both teams in the same season). 

On 7 March 1908, Walter married Lillian Olive Riley and in 1912 they were living in Donegal Street, Norwood. They had two sons – Mervyn Walter Ferguson (1909–1983) and Oniesiphorous George Ferguson (1910–1970), and possibly a third child. However, the family would soon be devastated by great tragedy. 

Walter was employed as a quarryman for Messrs. John Dunstan & Sons Limited at the Waterfall Gully quarry. He and a man named Harry Byrne were blasting when the explosives they were loading into the rock were accidentally triggered by a steel bar, when the use of a wooden bar would likely have prevented the tragedy. Ferguson died instantly, whilst Byrne died a full twenty minutes later. A horse was also killed and numerous other workers were rendered unconscious by the explosion. The City Coroner (Dr. W. Ramsay-Smith) held an inquiry at the Adelaide Police Courthouse and ruled that the two deaths were accidental. Ferguson was buried in the Payneham Cemetery, at the age of just 30 years, leaving behind a widow with very young children.
 
* Our thanks to Peter Herbert, Historian of the Payneham Football Club, for his assistance and the 1900 photo of Walter Ferguson. 

C Brown, M Giles, D Cox, G Adams, P Robins, P Herbert, March 2026