By Greg Blood

Jim Ferguson played a significant role in the development of the Australian sport system in the lead up to the 2000 Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games. He was the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) from June 1990 to December 2000.

Prior to his appointment to the ASC, Ferguson had a 20 year career (1966-1986) in the Dept of Foreign Affairs and Trade including Ambassador to Peru between 1981 and 1983. His career in federal government sport administration commenced with his appointment as Head of the Tourism and Sport Division, Department of Arts, Sport, the Environment and Tourism in 1986.

Ferguson was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the ASC on 27 June 1990 replacing Ron Harvey who departed in 1989. On reflection, Ferguson brought extensive government management to the position. This was critical due to recent changes at the ASC – the integration of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) within the ASC, the appointment of Robert de Castella as AIS Director, outcomes of the Senate Drugs in Sport Inquiry and increased funding by the Hawke government. The ASC and AIS needed an experienced and steady leader after a period of turbulence.

In his ten years as ASC CEO, it worth highlighting some of the major developments that occurred within the ASC/ AIS.

The AIS significantly expanded with many new sports programs: golf in 1992, women’s road cycling and water polo in 1993, mountain biking in 1995, boxing, wrestling and archery in 1996, AFL in 1997, women’s football in 1998, sailing, slalom canoeing, triathlon and women’s cricket in 2000. AIS sports science medicine services and research significantly expanded after Sydney won the right to host 2000 Olympics and Paralympics.

Other ASC developments included:

• 1991 – Australian Coaching Council officially became part of the ASC ; Oceania Olympic Training Centre was established.
• 1992 – Implementation of Hawke government’s Maintain the Momentum” Sports Policy 1992-96 – $293 m over four years.
• 1993 – Australian College of Sports Education and National Elite Sports Council established.
• 1994 – Implementation of Keating government’s Olympic and Paralympic Athlete Program 1994-2000 – $135m over six years after Sydney won the right to host 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• 1995 – Athlete Career and Education (ACE) Program established nationally; Willing & Able, a joint project of the AUSSIE SPORT
• 1997 – Active Australia: a National Participation Framework launched – an important initiative to improve sport participation and fitness throughout Australia. But Keating and Howard governments failed to adequately provide funding for this program aim at increasing sport participation.

Whilst ASC CEO, Ferguson worked with three ASC Chairs – Ted Harris (984–1994), Mike Fitzpatrick (1994–1997) and Peter Bartels (1997-2008) ; and six Ministers for Sport – Ros Kelly (1990-1993), Graham Richardson (1993-1994), John Faulkner (1994-1996), Warwick Smith (1996-1997), Andrew Thomson (1997-1998) and Jackie Kelly (1997-2001).

On his departure from the ASC in December 2000, ASC Chair Peter Bartels said “Jim’s contribution to the development of sport in Australia is immeasurable. The level of excellence now reached and the international standing of Australian sport is the best testament to Jim’s time at the ASC”.

After leaving the ASC, Ferguson was actively involved in a number of sporting and government organisations including: President of ACT Rugby Union and China Australia Sports Association ; board member of the Australian Tourist Commission, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, World Youth Soccer Cup, World Masters Games, Boxing Australia (2010-2022).

During my time at the ASC, I found Ferguson a calm leader in a period of significant change. He was willing to listen to the expertise of those in sport. This period was not without challenges including the significant expansion of the AIS in Canberra, staffing freezes of the newly elected Howard government and any inquiry into AIS gymnastics.

After leaving the ASC, Ferguson decided to write a book about his time leading the ASC. I responded to his frequent requests regarding dates, events, funding and policy developments. The book ‘ More Than Sunshine & Vegemite: Success the Australian Way’ was published in 2006. This book importantly documents the development of the Australian sport system in the decade leading up to the Sydney Games.  He interviewed over fifty people working in the Australian sport system and eight prominent AIS athletes. I recommend this book to anyone working in the Australian sport system as “you need to know the past as you move forward”. A wonderful legacy as there a few books that cover the development of sport in Australia from the inside.

In final book chapter – Lessons for the Future – Ferguson wrote ” The Australian Sports system must continue to take risks, to live at the edge. After all, that is where the excitement is. It will be hard to maintain our levels of success. But it is achievable“.

Note – book can be borrowed from the Clearinghouse for Sport.

Ferguson continued to have a strong interest in the development of the Australian sport system and in 2021/22 published two articles:

• Effective Sporting Organisations: Nine Pillars , 138 Critical Success Factors using the SPLISS Model
• The Australian High Performance System – the Way Forward

I will miss the emails and phone calls asking me what is happening in the Australian sport system. Sadly, Ferguson’s death follows the recent death of Bob Hobson – both important leaders at the ASC in the ten year lead to the Sydney Olympis and Paralympics.

Vale James Alexander “Jim” Ferguson 29 November 1940 – 27 January 2026