William Ferguson a legend who was tireless in pursuit of democratic freedom: grandson

He was the second of seven children of Scottish-born shearer and boundary rider William Ferguson and Emily (nee Ford) Ferguson, an Aboriginal housemaid.

Emily died in childbirth in 1895. Jack Horner, writing in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, said Ferguson’s brief education came from the Warangesda mission school.

Ferguson worked in shearing sheds in the Riverina from 1896 and later became a shed organiser for the Australian Workers’ Union.

He married Margaret Mathieson Gowans, a domestic servant from Carrathool, at Narrandera Presbyterian Church on February 18, 1911. They lived at Santigo near Narrandera but travelled around for shearing work.

The family settled at Gulargambone in 1916 where Ferguson reformed the local branch of the Australian Labor Party.

He was secretary for two years. From 1920 to 1924 he worked as a mailman between Quambone and Gulargambone before returning to shearing. Ferguson, his wife and their 12 children settled permanently at Dubbo in 1933.

According to Jack Horner, Ferguson had concerns about the control imposed on Aboriginal people by the NSW Aborigines’ Protection Board which expected Aborigines of mixed descent “to absorb into society and the others to die out”.

“Young men expelled from reserves by managers became bush workers,” Horner wrote. “Inspectors took girls away for training as domestic servants: ‘pocket money’ was held in trust.”

Ferguson began organising Aboriginal people in 1936 when Parliament amended the Aborigines’ Protection Act to increase the powers of the board.

On June 27, 1937 he launched the Aborigines’ Progressive Association at Dubbo and later opened branches on Aboriginal reserves.

Five months later he was a witness before a government select committee on the administration of the Aborigines’ Protection Board. When the proceedings did not initiate reform Ferguson, William Cooper and John Patten organised a Day of Mourning conference in Sydney on Australia Day 1938.

According to records held by the National Museum of Australia, Prime Minister Joseph Lyons and his wife Enid met with the Aboriginal organisers.

They spent two hours together but nothing practical resulted. The Day of Mourning became an annual event for Indigenous people and their supporters.

Over time the celebration shifted to July and eventually evolved into NAIDOC Week Ferguson and Patten wrote the pamphlet Aborigines Claim Citizen Rights! and petitioned Prime Minister Lyons for a national Aboriginal policy.

Ferguson organised five Aborigines’ Progressive Association conferences in country towns, formulated polices and arranged welfare work. Among his assistants were Pearl Gibbs, Herbert Groves and William Onus.

Responding to Aborigines’ Progressive Association demands for democratic rights the government had two Aboriginal representatives elected to the Aborigines’ Welfare Board in 1943. Ferguson was with the board from 1944-49.

“Listening to complaints from reserve residents he was astounded at poor conditions,” Jack Horner wrote.

“He demanded an inquiry into Menindee Aboriginal Station and though the board exonerated the manager, it recommended finding a better site.

“In July 1946 board members resolved to ask Ferguson to resign but next month reinstated him.

“Despite better housing, state school education on reserves and welfare work, segregation remained, and Ferguson denounced individual exemption from the Act as conditional citizenship.

“By February 1949 Ferguson was vice-president of the NSW branch of the Australian Aborigines’ League, a national body with Onus as president, “In June it sent a deputation to Canberra asking for many administrative reforms drafted by Ferguson.”

Prime Minister Ben Chifley’s minister for the interior Herbert Johnson was unresponsive. Ferguson was furious and left for Sydney intending to stand for Parliament.

He resigned from the Labor Party, criticised both political parties for ignoring Aboriginal welfare, and stood as an independent candidate for Lawson (then the Dubbo seat) with a policy of civil rights for all people.

Ferguson won 388 votes. He collapsed after his final speech and died at Dubbo Base Hospital on January 4, 1950. Seventy-year-old Willie Ferguson (a resident of Lightning Ridge and frequent visitor to Dubbo) believes his grandfather died of a broken heart.

“He was a legend in this region and Australia,” Willie said.

“He was a strong man of great determination. When grandfather spoke people listened.” Ferguson was described as being tall with a calm and reliable manner and strong Presbyterian faith.