General News
5 June, 2026
Andy Ferguson by Val Dwyer
I met Andy Ferguson at the Central Goldfields Art Gallery last December when the Reusable exhibition was on. We were all encouraged to wear recycled gear.
I wore a fur coat I bought from an op shop several years ago and gold strappy sandals, also from an op shop. A few of us who had dressed for the occasion stood up in front, so a winner could be chosen.
Afterwards Andy came and spoke to me, interested in my fur coat. He said he was a film maker and I said I was a writer. He said we must get together as he was planning for his forthcoming exhibition, titled Pretty Much — of people he had interviewed and painted from around regional Victoria.
Andy and I were having a great laugh about the torturous sandals I was wearing.
He gave me his business card, which featured a cigarette smoking girl with one of her front teeth missing, the caption, ‘tell me your story’.
At his exhibition in February, we all enjoyed Andy’s talk of his artistic background — and those of the other guest speakers.
Maryborough Writers’ Group held it’s May meeting at the art gallery, our object as an exercise was to choose one of the exhibits to write about. I chose to write about Andy’s painting, ‘Mixed Media on Canvas’. A self portrait of Andy who is obviously on a joy ride (possibly at a theme park or carnival) with his arm around the shoulders of a clown.
Speaking with Andy, he told me of his first memories:
“My first memories are like a weird oversaturated flick book where there is a disjointed flicker effect, over the actual event … I was probably three and my little sister was in her wooden high chair banging a little Bambi spoon on the hinged food tray making a racket. It was breakfast time,” he said.
“My two older sisters had already left for school. Mum was at the stove busy heating porridge for us. My hungry sister was only 18-months-old but had the strength and rhythm any thrash band would be proud of.
“I was a slight kid who looked underfed and was constantly fighting off a bronchial infection. Luckily I grew out of that, but then everyone, be it aunties, other mums, doctors, shopkeepers, random pedestrians … anyone who caught a glimpse of me, tried to shove food down my throat.
“Looking at old photos of me, the most solid part of my body was my knee caps.
“My sister increased her frantic drumming and rocking back and forth like a head banger at an AC/DC concert. So much so her throne became unstable… and she started to topple.
“I watched the high chair tilt and begin to nose dive in slow motion. I leapt from the kitchen table and grabbed the leg of the high chair pushing (with all my adrenaline charged strength) back on its proper axis.
“My mum looked at me as if I was a super hero. A look that I never saw from her again, but that’s another story.”
Andy and his family lived in a small weatherboard house, which his father built, on Carrington Road, Reservoir, Victoria — opposite the Reservoir High School.
Andy used to collect snails from their garden and feed them to his youngest sister.
“Maybe that’s why she was so much stronger than me,” he said.
The family moved from Reservoir when Andy was four and he was sent to the Lower Templestowe Primary State school, where he was regularly beaten up by the bigger boys.
“I was often sent to the headmasters office for the ‘strap’ (a short leather belt). My parents felt I should be sent to a stricter boys’ school, where I could learn in a more expensive environment.
“Alas, this was not the case, as my enthusiasm for disruption blossomed… and eventually I was politely asked to leave in 5th form, by way of expulsion, which I eagerly embraced.
“I worked in various jobs from metallurgy furnace worker to Kmart toy salesman. At that time my father felt I needed some self discipline and suggested I should join the army. I took this suggestion very seriously and promptly left home.
“After eight years of working various jobs and having lots of fun living in shared housing throughout inner city Melbourne, I returned to the education system and did graphic design and film TV at Swinburne. From there I finally found my calling and have never looked back.
“My association with the Central Goldfields Art Gallery in Maryborough was when I applied to have an exhibition there with my interviews and portraits of people I have met throughout regional Victoria, called Pretty Much.
“I am a huge supporter of programs and facilities which support all members of the community to come together and celebrate creative endeavours. The Central Goldfields Art Gallery is full of wonderful and enthusiastic volunteers and staff who have a huge love of representing artists of all kinds, to shine.”
As an independent filmmaker/ interviewer Andy feels he has been lucky to have travelled to countless countries for various companies, something that’s given him an understanding that people throughout the world are ‘Pretty Much’ all caring, loving people who look after each other and just want to raise their families in peace and safety.
His love of listening to peoples’ stories and being a natural sticky beak has continued to this day
“I’m fascinated with people and their stories. Not celebrities or politicians but real people — who often don’t believe their story is worth telling,” he said.
“On the contrary, now more than ever we need to share our journeys and triumphs. Share our hurts and struggles, honest stories told by us, without judgement, without media bias, without the propaganda, just with honesty.
“We learn from these stories and they remind us that through vulnerability and opening up our hearts we find strength and wisdom.
“I really appreciate people sharing their stories with me. It’s like they’re giving me a gift. So, to honour them I painted each of their portraits, special portraits for very special people.”