He was an early exponent of the switch hit, changing suddenly from right-handed to left-handed in order to play the ball more effectively.

[2] His highest first-class score was 72, when he captained Victoria to victory over Tasmania in 1893–94.

[4] He set a record for the Williamstown Cricket Club in 1902-03 when he scored 213 not out against Brighton.

[5] Houston was also an Australian rules footballer, playing 133 matches for North Melbourne in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) between 1881 and 1890, and also playing three matches for St Kilda in 1889 when the team were short of players, before crossing to Geelong.

At the time of his death, he was the caretaker of the Williamstown Cricket Ground, where he died, aged 58.