John Ferguson (27 December 1852 – 1 March 1925) was a Scottish-born Australian

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

minister.

Early life

John Ferguson was born on 27 December 1852, at Shiels, Aberdeenshire,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

, the third son of William Ferguson, a farmer, and his wife Elizabeth, née Mitchell. He migrated to Otago,

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, with his parents in 1862. Upon leaving school at the age of 14, he became a pupil-teacher, and also acted as laboratory assistant in the chemistry department at the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate ...

. Ferguson soon realised his desire to enter the ministry, and subsequently, the congregation of Knox Church at

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

, gave him a

bursary A bursary is a monetary award made by any educational institution or funding authority to individuals or groups. It is usually awarded to enable a student to attend school, university or college when they might not be able to, otherwise. Some awa ...

to complete the full course at New College, Edinburgh.

Career

Licensed as a

probationer Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offence (law), offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incarce ...

by the Free Church presbytery of Deer at Stuartfield,

Old Deer Old Deer ( sco, Auld Deer, gd, Dèir) is a parish and village in the district of Buchan, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The population in 2011 was 152. The village lies on the Deer or South Ugie Water, west of Peterhead and from Mintlaw. Industri ...

, Aberdeenshire, Ferguson returned to Otago and was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

to the ministry on 20 May 1880. He was then sent to work with the miners at Tuapeka in the Central Otago goldfields. Ferguson married Isabella Adie, from Old Deer, on 4 February 1881 at Dunedin. He soon became colleague and successor to A. Stobo at

Invercargill Invercargill ( , mi, Waihōpai is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. The city lies in the heart of the wide expanse of t ...

, where he remained in full charge for fourteen years. In August 1894 Ferguson was inducted to St Stephen's,

Phillip Street Phillip Street is a street in the central business district of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. While the street runs from King Street in the south to Circular Quay in the north, the present street is effectively in two sections, sepa ...

, Sydney, the largest Presbyterian congregation in Australia. His ministry in Sydney was very successful. Ferguson took a full part in Australian religious and public life, becoming moderator-general in 1909. His inaugural address, published as ''The Economic Value of the Gospel'', caused controversy in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

and praise from trade union leaders.

Labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the la ...

politician William Morris (Billy) Hughes (who was to become

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

in 1915), said: As the senior Presbyterian chaplain in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Ferguson preached on many special occasions, including the arrival of H.M.A.S. Australia and the memorial services at the end of the South African War and

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Ferguson's ecumenical interests led him to seek an audience with the Pope on a visit to Rome in 1914, an action that evoked much criticism in Sydney. On 22 May 1913, following the resignation of Andrew Harper, Ferguson was appointed Senior Chaplain and chairman of the exclusive

Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney The Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney (PLC Sydney) is an independent school, independent Presbyterian Church of Australia, Presbyterian Single-sex school, single-sex Pre-school education, early learning, Primary school, primary and Secondary sc ...

Council, retiring in 1923 due to ill health. Whilst in this role, he actively worked towards the planning and establishment of the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Pymble in 1916, a branch of the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney. He was also the first chairman of the board of the

Australian Inland Mission The Australian Presbyterian Mission was founded by the Presbyterian Church of Australia to reach those "beyond the farthest fence" with God's Word. It is better known as the Australian Inland Mission (AIM). Rev. John Flynn was the first superi ...

, a member of the Council of

The Scots College , motto_translation = O that we may be worthy of our forefathers , location = Bellevue Hill, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney , country = Australia , type = Independent single-sex primary ...

and St Andrew's Theological College, and vice-president of the Highland Society of New South Wales. He was also to become the Acting Principal of St Andrew's Theological College at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's ...

in 1917. It is said that Ferguson was a "tall, dark-haired man, with a drooping moustache and a commanding presence. An attractive preacher, with a genial and informal friendliness, he seldom forgot a face or a name and few entered St Stephen's without a warm personal greeting. He was admired and respected by all the Churches."

Death

In October 1924, Ferguson collapsed in the pulpit of St. Stephen's Church and subsequently died at his home, 'Atherton', on

Bayswater Road Bayswater Road is the main road running along the northern edge of Hyde Park in London. Originally part of the A40 road, it is now designated part of the A402 road. Route In the east, Bayswater Road originates at Marble Arch roadway at ...

, on 1 March 1925. He was survived by his wife, three sons, including Sir John, judge of the New South Wales Industrial Commission and author of the ''Australian National Bibliography''; Eustace, a notable

pathologist Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in t ...

and entomologist, and by two daughters. He was buried at South Head Cemetery in Sydney.

Legacy

Following Ferguson's death, a memorial hall and tablet were erected at St Stephen's Church, Sydney in his honour. Ferguson House at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney is also named after him.

Notable descendants

* John Alexander Ferguson, (Sir), compiled the firs
Bibliography of Australia
*

Eustace William Ferguson Eustace William Ferguson born 24 October 1884 (Invercargill, New Zealand,) died 18 July 1927 ( Wahroonga, New South Wales) was a New Zealand pathologist and entomologist., He was the third child of John Ferguson (clergyman) and Isabella Adie (1854 ...

, pathologist and entomologist

References