Emeritus Professor David Fergusson was a distinguished New Zealand psychologist renowned for his pioneering work in developmental psychology and longitudinal studies of human development. Born in London in May 1944, he joined the Merchant Navy at age 15 before emigrating to New Zealand where he studied psychology, sociology and education at Victoria University of Wellington. After working as a government policy advisor for seven years, he moved to Christchurch in 1976 and joined the University of Otago Christchurch as Professor of Psychological Medicine in 1999, a position he held until his retirement in 2015. Throughout his career, Professor Fergusson demonstrated exceptional dedication to understanding the complex factors influencing human development from childhood through adulthood.
Professor Fergusson was the founding director of the Christchurch Health and Development Study, a landmark longitudinal investigation following 1,265 children born in Christchurch in 1977 through infancy, adolescence, and into adulthood. His rigorous research methodology produced over 480 publications that significantly advanced understanding of critical issues including child sexual abuse, youth drug use, mental health, and the impacts of abortion. His findings provided crucial evidence that informed government policy decisions on these controversial yet significant topics, demonstrating his commitment to research-driven social change. Perhaps his most impactful contribution was the development of Early Start, an innovative early intervention service for high-risk families, which grew from his observations that teenagers with the most problems had experienced the greatest childhood adversity.
Under Professor Fergusson's leadership, the Christchurch Health and Development Study gained worldwide recognition as one of the most productive and methodologically sound longitudinal studies ever conducted. His encyclopedic knowledge of developmental factors and unrelenting commitment to using research as an evidence base for health and social policy made him an international leader among lifecourse researchers. Following his retirement, he continued to influence policy as a scientific advisor to the Ministry of Social Development, applying his expertise to develop interventions for reducing childhood behavior disorders. Professor Fergusson's legacy endures through the ongoing impact of his research, the professionals he mentored, and the countless individuals whose lives were improved through evidence-based interventions informed by his four decades of meticulous scholarship. He passed away on October 3, 2018, leaving behind a profound contribution to developmental psychology and public health policy.
