Ernest William Baghurst, a fitter from the Great Western Railway’s engineering hub at Swindon, emigrated to South Australia in 1911, finding work with SA Railways in their machine shops at Petersburg.
The presence of English railway workers at Petersburg kick started soccer in the town. The game was first played there in 1912, and in June 1914 the “Burgers” played several games against Adelaide opposition. The South Adelaide club were the first opponents, with Baghurst acting as referee. He also refereed the next game at Petersburg, against an Adelaide XI with the visitors winning 2-0. When the Petersburg team went to Adelaide a week later they did not have their strongest team and Baghurst played in the game. An Adelaide ref took charge of the match. The home side won 3-1 and Baghurst was named amongst Petersburg’s best players.
Ernest Baghurst enlisted in Adelaide on 20th August 1915 at the age of 29. At least four other Petersburg soccerites enlisted between 1914 and 1916 — Wood, Scattergood, Peers and Butt — meaning that the newly established code from the rural railway town would make a significant contribution to the war effort. In France with the Australian Army Medical Corps, Baghurst served with both 5th and 3rd Field Ambulance. He spent some time attached to front line battalions as a medical orderly and served as a CO’s batman. His war ended with a bout of pneumonia which saw him evacuated to England and eventually returned to Australia in 1919.
Ernest Bagstock married Flora Hunt, daughter of a Methodist minister, at Murray Bridge in 1921. The couple had two daughters and Bagstock died in Adelaide in 1955.