death_date children constituency_mp birth_date birthname term_end restingplace death_place term_start spouse name occupation otherparty predecessor parliament birth_place party successor religion article_title
23 may 1935 7 sturt 05 september 1859 william john ferguson 16 july 1904 toowong cemetery brisbane , queensland 17 july 1894 elizabeth poole lily gertrude hanks william ferguson engine driver , journalist liberal reform party john cann new south wales redruth , south australia australian labor party arthur griffith presbyterianism william john ferguson

william john ferguson

william john ferguson -lrb- 5 september 1859 -- 23 may 1935 -rrb- was an australian politician .
born in redruth in south australia to smelter james boyce ferguson and barbara robinson .
he attended primary school before becoming an engine driver and journalist in south australia 's mining districts , subsequently moving to broken hill , where he married elizabeth poole -lrb- with whom he had seven children -rrb- .
he would later remarry on 8 december 1927 lily gertrude hanks at marrickville .
in october 1892 , following his involvement in the broken hill strike , ferguson was gaoled for `` conspiracy '' , and was released in july 1893 .
an early member of the australian workers ' union and the political labor league , ferguson was elected to the new south wales legislative assembly in 1894 as the member for sturt .
although he became president of the local council of the australian labor federation in 1899 , ferguson 's independent behaviour in the assembly led to his disendorsement in 1901 ; he was re-elected as an independent labor candidate in 1901 and was defeated as a liberal in 1904 .
he later moved to queensland , dying in brisbane in 1935 .
