The First Aboriginal Cricket Team to England

2018 marked the 150th anniversary of the 1868 first Aboriginal cricket team to tour England; a time of national reflection on the history of Aboriginal cricket in Australia.

Aboriginal involvement in cricket in Australia dates back to the earliest days of sport in the colony, with records indicating engagement in 1795 in Sydney, and the 1830s in Tasmania. The first reference to an actual cricket match was in February 1854, when three indigenous cricketers named Poonindie played in a game at St Peter's College Adelaide, South Australia.

The first international Australian cricket team was an all Aboriginal team. Formed by a pastoralist's son from western Victoria, in south eastern Australia, the team toured England in 1868. It is both a triumphant and tragic story comprising of Aboriginal Australian, Colonial Australian and British nations - all woven together by cricket.

Tom Wills b.1855 - d.1880
On his return from schooling in England in late 1856, Wills became regarded as the finest Australian cricketer of his day right through to the early 1870s. He also captained Victoria and was sought after as a player by New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia.

In 1861 Wills' family moved with his father and staff, to establish a property, Cullin-La-Ringo (modern day Springsure) in western Queensland, northern Australia.

Relations between the local Aboriginal people and settlers had been tumultuous due to frontier conflict, which was particularly violent in Queensland. In October 1861, a local Aboriginal clan attacked Horatio Wills' property, murdering 19 men, women and children, including Tom's father, Horatio. It is the biggest massacre of white people by Aboriginal people in Australian history.

Tom Wills survived, but visibly affected by the catastrophe, reacted not with anger but with an act of compassion and courageous reconciliation. Taking no part in the ugly reprisal killings against the Aboriginal communities involved, Wills returned to the Western District of Victoria. Together with colleague William Hayman, Wills formed a cricket team of talented local Aboriginal men, making an early act of public reconciliation between Aboriginal people and the English settlers.

Image of Horatio Wills' grave, Cullin-Le-Ringo, Queensland. (Wills Family Papers, Bradman Museum)

During 1866 and 1867 the team toured New South Wales, and regional Victoria. As the team's prowess grew they became hugely popular, playing the Melbourne Cricket Club before a crowd of 8,000 people.

____________________

Image of the the Aboriginal cricketers, 1866 at MCG, Bullocky (Bullchanach), Mosquito (James Couzens) (Grougarrong), Charley Dumas (Pripumuarraman), Peter (Arrahmunijarrimun), Dick-a-Dick (Yangendyinanyuk), Red Cap (Brimbunyah), Jim Crow (Lytejerbillijun), Sundown (Ballrinjarrimin), Johnny Cuzens (Yellana), Tiger (Bonnibarngeet), Johnny Mullagh (Unaarrimin), Twopenny (Jarrawuk/Murrumgunarrimin), King Cole (Bripumyarrimin), with Tom Wills (left), William Gurnett and William Hayman.

Lithograph Sketch

Players like Unaarrimin (Johnny Mullagh), Yellana (Cuzens), Bullchanach (Bullocky) and Yangendyinanyuk (Dick-a-Dick) were the most accomplished and skilful players.

As the team strengthened, Tom Wills set about making plans to take the players to England, but behind his back William Gurnett, an ex-soldier and entrepreneur, seeing the earning potential of such a tour, signed the players ahead of Wills.

In 1868, accompanied by English player Charles Lawrence, who acted as Manager, the team departed for England without Wills. Suffering the long term effects of his father and friend's traumatic deaths, Wills commenced a fatal spiral into alcoholism and despair, which ultimately ended in his suicide on May 2, 1880.

________________

Wills photographed after the 1861 Cullin-Le-Ringo massacre.

Embarking from Sydney on the wool clipper 'Parramatta', the team took 74 days to reach England. The route took them south to the latitudes of the Roaring 40s, passing the southern tip of South America via Cape Horn, and north along the length of the Atlantic Ocean. They arrived in London on May 24.

In England the team were warmly welcomed and treated as exotic curiosities from the distant colony. They were also expected to perform other feats on top of their gruelling cricket itinerary.

The team played 47 matches over five months, winning 14, losing 14, with 19 games drawn. The rigorous schedule required them to play 99 days out of a possible 126, across 15 counties all against high calibre sides.


The advertisement on the left illustrates the underlying commercial imperative of the tour. In the hopes of capitalising on the exotic appeal of the Aboriginal players. However, cricket audiences and teams alike in England were more captivated by the team's skill and performance on the field, as evident in newspaper reports of the time.

Bradman Museum houses an original 1869 Wisden Cricketers' Almanac, which recorded the historic matches including against the MCC played by the 'Australian Aboriginals' in 1868.

Six team members played in excess of 45 matches. They created much interest in England which forced rescheduling additional matches including matches at The Oval and Lord's.

The most successful player, Unaarrimin (Mullagh), scored 1,670 runs at an average of 23.89 runs and took 245 wickets at an average of 10.16 runs per wicket.

The great English cricketer W.G. Grace witnessed the 1868 team. So impressed was he by Unaarrimin (Mullagh) and Yellana (Cuzens) against MCC at Lord's, he noted "...(they) had acquitted themselves very well" and shown "conspicuous skill at the game".

No Rest Between Play

In addition to the cricket, during breaks in play, the team was required to demonstrate their athletic prowess with running races, throwing and jumping activities. In addition Aboriginal activities such as boomerang and spear throwing were performed. On occasions they would also stage a mock battle. These additional activities only served to further enhance the team to English spectators.

__________________

The Aboriginal Cricketers as photographed by the Werrnambool Examiner, 8 October 1867. Photographed in their distinct individually coloured sash tops, many pose with traditional Aboriginal implements such as boomerangs, spears and shields. Charles Lawrence is seated at top, William Hayman standing at the bottom.

Yellana (Johnny Cuzens)

The Aboriginal players returned to Australia in February 1869, having more than matched the standard of play in England. Most resumed their roles as farm labourers in Western Victoria, with the exceptions of Unamuriman (Johnny Mullagh) and Yellana (Johnny Cuzens) who were retained by the Melbourne Cricket Club for a short while.

__________________

Yellana scored 1358 runs at an average of 19.90 (HS 87) on tour, second only to Unamurriman. He also took 114 wickets at 11.30.

"In the years following the 1868 Tour, Aboriginal cricket declined due to policies of protectionism and segregation. The opportunities for Aboriginal advancement in the game were lost. No Aboriginal cricketers were able to demonstrate their full potential or to make a greater impact on white consciousness through sustained performances at the highest levels of the game until 1958." Bernard Whimpress

It was to be another ten years before a anglo-Australian team would embark on a similar overseas tour and another 120 years that a second Aboriginal side toured England. No Aboriginal person would wear a Baggy Green until 1958, when Faith Thomas OAM (née Coulthard) played for Australia. Renewed effort was made leading up to 1988 Bicentennial celebrations by the Australian Federal government and the Aboriginal Cricket Association, recognising Aboriginal cricket history, its struggles and survival.

The Imparja Cup, a national competition comprising Indigenous sides from all states, was first held in Alice Springs, Northern Territory in 1994. In 2016, the tournament was extended to a more competitive level with the inaugural National Indigenous Cricket Championships (NICC), also held in Alice Springs. The annual tournaments promote Indigenous cricket nationally, showcasing Australia's most talented Indigenous male and female cricketers.

______________

In 2019 Faith Thomas was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for her service to cricket and the Indigenous community. Notably, when Faith was selected to play Test cricket for Australia in 1958, she became the first Aboriginal, male or female, to do so. She is also the first Aboriginal woman to represent Australia in any sport.