From Coddington's Bookstore to teaching english at UOW, literature advocate Jean Ferguson will be missed

Jean Ferguson, OAM, was a long-time book reviewer for the Illawarra Mercury and the owner and inspiration for the much-loved Coddington's Bookstore, and threw her hand to many other community organisations.

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The 90-year-old Order of Australia recipient passed away peacefully on Sunday July 3.

"For a couple of generations for children in the Illawarra she instilled a love of words and reading," said her daughter Cathryn Ferguson.

"From a daughter's perspective, she was an incredible early role model of a working professional woman and she did great service to a lot of girls my age, doing that trail-blazing of being an independent, strong woman."

Born in 1931, Jean worked as a school librarian, bookshop owner, advocate of children's literature, industry leader, mentor and joyous book lover and had a profound effect on the reading culture of Wollongong.

She founded the school library at Pleasant Heights Public School as a teacher librarian before purchasing Coddington's Bookshop in Wollongong in 1972 which traded into the 1980's - bestselling author Nikki Gemmell describing the store as "a 'Gong institution".

"I and all my friends, used to love going into Coddington's on a Saturday after sport and choosing a book, and she would always know the exact right book for where you were at and what you loved," Ms Ferguson said.

"It inspired a lifelong love of literature and reading for a couple of generations of Wollongong kids."

While running Coddington's, Jean expanded the children's section despite what was an adult-dominated market and advised schools and libraries on which kids books to stock. Later she taught children's literature at the University of Wollongong and was closely involved with the Children's Book Council of Australia.

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But there were other facets of the community she poured her heart into like volunteering for Lifeline, being an advocate for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, being a member of the Lake Illawarra Trust and also the Illawarra Escarpment Committee fighting for catchment management and protection of the escarpment.

"If you are looking for a fascinating, compulsive industry where one day is never the same as the last with a fascinating product, try the book industry," Jean Ferguson once told the authors of a guide to Australian publishing.

"You will probably never be rich, but you will never be bored."

-- with Angus Dalton

Jean Elsie Ferguson will be remembered by family and friends on July 18, at Hansen and Cole in Kembla Grange. The service to commence at 12pm.

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