Jack Ferguson

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title: "Jack Ferguson" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1924-births", "2002-deaths", "australian-army-soldiers", "australian-labor-party-members-of-the-parliament-of-new-south-wales", "australian-army-personnel-of-world-war-ii", "deputy-premiers-of-new-south-wales", "deaths-from-cancer-in-new-south-wales", "labor-left-politicians", "members-of-the-new-south-wales-legislative-assembly", "officers-of-the-order-of-australia", "politicians-from-sydney", "20th-century-australian-politicians", "deaths-from-mesothelioma-in-australia", "people-educated-at-parramatta-marist-high-school"] description: "Australian politician (1924–2002)" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Ferguson" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Australian politician (1924–2002) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

Field	Value
honorific-prefix	The Honourable
name	Jack Ferguson
honorific-suffix
image	Jack Ferguson FL2723539.jpg
constituency_AM1	Merrylands
assembly1	New South Wales
term_start1	21 March 1959
term_end1	5 February 1962
predecessor1	New creation
successor1	Seat abolished
constituency_AM2	Fairfield
assembly2	New South Wales
term_start2	3 March 1962
term_end2	23 January 1968
predecessor2	Clarrie Earl
successor2	Eric Bedford
constituency_AM3	Merrylands
assembly3	New South Wales
term_start3	24 February 1968
term_end3	5 March 1984
predecessor3	New creation
successor3	Geoff Irwin
order	9th
office	Deputy Premier of New South Wales
premier	Neville Wran
term_start	14 May 1976
term_end	10 February 1984
predecessor	Leon Punch
successor	Ron Mulock
birth_date
birth_place	Zetland, New South Wales, Australia
death_date
death_place	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
party	Labor
spouse	Mary Ellen Bett
children	Laurie, Martin, Andrew
::

|honorific-prefix = The Honourable |name = Jack Ferguson |honorific-suffix = |image = Jack Ferguson FL2723539.jpg |imagesize = |caption = |constituency_AM1 = Merrylands |assembly1 = New South Wales |majority1 = |term_start1 = 21 March 1959 |term_end1 = 5 February 1962 |predecessor1 = New creation |successor1 = Seat abolished |prior_term1 = |constituency_AM2 = Fairfield |assembly2 = New South Wales |majority2 = |term_start2 = 3 March 1962 |term_end2 = 23 January 1968 |predecessor2 = Clarrie Earl |successor2 = Eric Bedford |prior_term2 = |constituency_AM3 = Merrylands |assembly3 = New South Wales |majority3 = |term_start3 = 24 February 1968 |term_end3 = 5 March 1984 |predecessor3 = New creation |successor3 = Geoff Irwin |prior_term3 = | order = 9th | office = Deputy Premier of New South Wales | premier = Neville Wran | term_start = 14 May 1976 | term_end = 10 February 1984 | predecessor = Leon Punch | successor = Ron Mulock | birth_date = | birth_place = Zetland, New South Wales, Australia | death_date = | death_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | party = Labor | spouse = Mary Ellen Bett | children = Laurie, Martin, Andrew | occupation = Laurie John Ferguson (4 September 1924 – 17 September 2002) was an Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch). He served in Neville Wran's state government as the Deputy Premier of New South Wales from 1976 to 1984.

Early life

Born in the inner Sydney suburb of Zetland, Ferguson was educated at Granville Convent and Marist Brothers College, Parramatta, both Catholic schools.

After leaving school he was variously a farmhand, textile worker, builder's labourer and bricklayer and was an organiser for the Building Workers' Industrial Union. From 1942 to 1946 he served in the Second Australian Imperial Force.

Following his demobilisation, he became active in municipal, and then state, politics. He was an alderman on Parramatta Council from 1954 to 1959, and Deputy Mayor in 1959. He married Mary Ellen Bett; the couple had three sons (Laurie, Martin and Andrew) and two daughters.

Political career

Ferguson was the member for Merrylands from March 1959 to 1962 and 1968 to 5 March 1984. From 1962 to 1968, he was member for Fairfield. A member of the Labor Party's left wing, he was best known as Deputy Premier and Minister for Public Works and Minister for Ports, from May 1976 until February 1984, in the cabinet headed by Neville Wran. He was also Minister for Housing from May 1976 to February 1977.

Death

Ferguson died in Sydney on , from mesothelioma according to his son Andrew.

Honours

Ferguson was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his service to government and to the NSW parliament in the Australia Day honours in 1985.

References

| title = Member for Merrylands | years = 1959–1962 | reason = Seat abolished | title = Member for Fairfield | before = Clarrie Earl | after = Eric Bedford | years = 1962–1968 | title = Member for Merrylands | years = 1968–1984 | after = Geoff Irwin | before = Syd Einfeld | title = Deputy Leader of the Opposition of New South Wales| | years = 1973–1976 | after = John Maddison | rows = 3 | before = Leon Punch | title = Deputy Premier of New South Wales | years = 1976–1984 | after = Ron Mulock | title = Minister for Public Works | years = 1976–1984 | after = Laurie Brereton | title = Minister for Ports | years = 1976–1984 | after = Lin Gordon | title = Minister for Housing | years = 1976–1977 | before = Ian Griffith | after = Ron Mulock | before = Syd Einfeld | title = Deputy Leader of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales| | years = 1973–1984 | after = Ron Mulock

References

1. Cavalier, Rodney. (18 September 2002). "Ferguson, Laurie John (Jack) (1924–2002)". Australian.
2. "The Hon. (Jack) Laurie John Ferguson (1924–2002)".
3. "Vale: Jack Ferguson". Workers Online - Issue 153.
4. {{Cite It's an Honour. (1985-01-26)

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