James M Ferguson
Mercantile Rowing Club (VIC)
Whilst James was a senior oarsman at Mercantile, he is best known for his long association with The Geelong College and as a successful coach.
In a book written by James for The Geelong College Boat Club, No Passengers and the Will to Win, the description of him is as follows:
There has been a long association between the Ferguson family and The Geelong College. James Mephan was a boarder for 12 years and his brother, Boyd, for 11 years. They both had identical career; matriculating in subjects in the Mathematics and Science streams, and were Prefects, House Captains and Lieutenants in the Cadet Corps. Both rowed in the 1st VIII and represented the College in Debating teams. Neither were good spellers! Their father, Mephan Ferguson, was on the College Council for 21 years and donated money to enable the Dining Hall and other facilities to be built. Boyd was killed in New Guinea in 1943 whilst in command of a Company of Infantry. After war service James went up to Ormond College to study Engineering at the University of Melbourne and later the degree of "Master of Engineering" was conferred on him and he became a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers, Australia.
Ferguson rowed in winning Ormond College and Inter-Varsity crews and in senior eights with the Mercantile Rowing Club. He has had a long career as a coach of university, school and club crews.
To add to this description, we know that that he enlisted immediately after finishing school on 21st January 1942 into the 2/19 Australian Armed Regiment. He discharged on 1st May 1945. His Regiment was kept in reserve and not used until late in the war. Unlike his brother Boyd, he does not appear to have not see active service in a war zone.
When the regattas recommenced in 1945, James immediately recommenced his rowing at Mercantile and in Inter-Collegiate and Inter-Varsity competitions. He even joined the Mercantile Rowing Club Committee from May 1946.
1951 Intervasity Crew
Standing left to right: J D Bailry (3), J A Gobbo (bow), J N Button (cox), D R Stoon (2), M F A Robertson (4)
Seated left to right: R W Buntine (6), J S Edwards (Str), J M Ferguson (Cch), A G Barrett (7), O McK Coltman (5)
He recommencement with rowing was swift and successful. Novice four win in September, then stroked a maiden four to win in November, stroked a winning maiden eight in December, stroked a winning junior four in January, stroked a winning junior eight in February, finishing with two open eight wins in March in the stroke seat. It does not come more rapid than that. Contemporaneously, he won the Inter-Collegiate and Inter-Varsity eights for his university.
For reasons unknown, Jim did not race fully in the following season although an Inter-Collegiate race win was taken.
Jim returned to serious racing in 1947-48 season in the Mercantile senior eight. Despite this crew being unsuccessful, an open eight win was a consolation along with some successful coaching both with Mercantile and University crews.
Again in the following season, Jim stroked the unsuccessful club senior eight but was successful picking up a couple of senior pairs and fours. This was to be his last season competing with coaching was becoming a major focus in his rowing at this point.
Settling back in Geelong, his coaching at Geelong College began in about 1956 with their second crews. He is credited with commencing rowing at Bell Park High School in Geelong and they went onto being prominent in Victorian high school rowing.
Known rowing record.
1940 - APS Head of the River - Geelong College First VIII, five seat - unplaced
1941 - APS Head of the River - Geelong College First VIII, five seat - unplaced
1946 - Inter-Collegiate Regatta, Men's Eight (Ormond College), rower - First
1946 - Australian University Championships, Men's Eight, three seat - First
1946 - Awarded his rowing Blue
1947 - Inter-Collegiate Regatta, Men's Eight (Ormond College), rower - First
1948 - Inter-Collegiate Regatta, Men's Eight (Queen's College), coach - First
1949 - Inter-Collegiate Regatta, Men's Eight (Queen's College), coach - First
1950 - Inter-Collegiate Regatta, Men's Eight (Ormond College), coach - First
1950 - Victorian Championships, Men's Eight, co-coach - First
1950 - Australian University Championships, Men's Eight, coach - First
1951 - Inter-Collegiate Regatta, Men's Eight (Ormond College), coach - First
1951 - Australian University Championships, Men's Eight, coach - Equal First
Sources:
- Author's own records
- No Passengers and the Will to Win by J M Ferguson
- Mercantile, A Century of Rowing, published by Mercantile Rowing Club 1980
- Well Rowed University by Judith Buckrich, published by MUBC in 2009
- Mercantile Rowing Cub annual reports
Andrew Guerin
May 2023