[7] Giffen lost the tops of two fingers when he got his left hand trapped between a pair of cog-wheels in 1886 at the South Australian Gas Company's Brompton Gasworks.

[8] Considered a sound batsman with a solid defence, Giffen's strength was his fielding in the deep and he "possessed a capital return to the wicket".

[9] In 1891 Giffen played for South Australia against the touring English side, making 65 in a total of 562, South Australia's then highest ever score, before being forced to retire hurt when his brother drove a ball straight back down the wicket, hitting the non-striker Giffen on the fingers of his right hand, injuring them so he was unable to continue his innings.

[10] In a 1894/95 match against the touring English side, Giffen and Clem Hill added 192 for the eighth wicket, which remained the record South Australian first-class eighth wicket stand until February 2002/03 when Brad Young and Mick Miller added 222 against Queensland.

[8] The Australian media was particularly scathing of Giffen's national selection, with The Bulletin publishing a poem ridiculing him and stating "The big black spot on the selection of the Australian Eleven for England is Walter Giffen, whose proper place is in a second eleven.