Title: Indigenous Australians
1Indigenous Australians Sport Origins and
Achievements
2Lecture Format
- Will take a broad brush approach by looking at
Indigenous contribution to sport in Australia. - Examine some of the key barriers that prevented
Indigenous people gaining equality in sport. - Look at whats happening today at the local level
to bring about better understanding and
opportunities for Indigenous sportspeople.
3Background of Sporting Achievements
- It is true to say that Australia is a sports
loving country in which Indigenous Australians
have made a major contribution-running, boxing,
tennis, cricket, AFL,NFL, soccer, basketball,
hockey, horse racing. - Considering Indigenous Australians are just over
2 of the general population (22 Million) their
contribution to sport Australian culture needs
to be acknowledged-will examine this in the
Murray Goulburn Region (Australian Bureau of
Statistics, 2010). - Important to note that despite the continuing
gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous
equality, Indigenous Australians have achieved
sporting success disproportionate to their
population. - In 2010 an estimated 83 Indigenous players were
playing footy in AFL about 16 of AFL-will come
back to this. -
4Opportunities for the Future
- History shows that until the 1970s, Aborigines
found it just as hard to gain equality in sport
as they did in life generally. - For those who did make it in sport however, a
voice was found from which they could then push
for the rights of their people in the broader
society. - And for that, sport must be acknowledged as
having provided an opportunity for Aborigines to
push for greater equality and the enjoyment of
those fundamental rights that belong to all
peoples.
5Indigenous Struggle for Equality
- For those who have chosen sport as a pathway to
recognition greater equality, it has also
provided inspiration for fellow Indigenous
Australians. - Well show them were just as good- if not better
approach. - Role modeling, for younger generations.
6Overview of Indigenous Sportspeople their
achievements across a broad range of sports on
the National International level.
7Aboriginal Cricket Team, 1868
- In 1868 very first Australian cricket team to
visit England was Aboriginal. They played a match
at North Shields, enthralling crowds with
displays of boomerang throwing as well as
cricket.
8Eddie Gilbert
- Eddie Gilbert is widely acknowledged as the
unluckiest Aboriginal sportsmen of that era. He
received high praise from Sir Donald Bradman and
could have gone on to play for Australia. - Instead, his career was cut short when the
Queensland Cricket Association told Gilbert his
services were no longer required. Little doubt
remains as to the motivations behind the
associations decision. - The stark reality is that many others suffered
discrimination similar to Gilberts. True, the
barriers were breaking down during the interwar
years, but they were breaking slowly. In fact,
during that period, Aborigines probably achieved
no more in their push for equality in sport than
they did in their push for equality in general
Australian society. - However, for those who did manage to break
through the barriers and forge successful
sporting, careers, sport did provide a launching
pad for bigger and better things.
9Achievements in late 1800s
- Possibly the most remarkable achievement against
the barriers to equality in sport was the
selection of Frank Ivory to play rugby union for
Queensland in 1893. - Also noteworthy is the little known fact that the
winner of the 1876 Melbourne Cup was a
13-year-old Aboriginal jockey named Peter St
Albans. Peter St Albans wagged school to ride the
Melbourne Cup winner of 1876. - year winner Jockey
trainer - BRISEIS Peter St Albans J Wilson
- Other famous Aboriginal Jockey- Darby McCarthy
whose record includes three Stradbrokes, the
Brisbane Cup and Doomben 10,000, and the 1969 AJC
Derby and Epsom Stakes on the same day. - McCarthy was dynamic and for his group 1 double
at Randwick he jousted with George Moore. - http//www.melbournecup.com.au/previous.php
10Sporting achievements at the local level
11Lynch Cooper, 1927Sport and Empowerment
- Historian Colin Tatz points out, Lynch Coopers
victories brought him money (from gambling on
himself) that helped him and his family to
survive the depression years with relative
dignity.
12Example of Local Talent in Running
- Eddy Briggs- Professional, Stawell Gift Finalist
- Donny Briggs-Professional Runner
- George Nelson-Professional Runner, Trainer of
Stawell Gift winner, Noel Hussey, 1968 - Paul Briggs- Stawell Gift finalist
- Stan Charles- Stawell Gift finalist
- Geoff Cooper, professional running
- Jimmy Murray, professional runner
- Bobby McDonald created crouch start in running
- Leo Muir, Runner up in Wangaratta Gift
- Sir Doug Nichols won Warracknabeal Gift
13Multi Talented Sportspeople
- Many local sportsmen were multi skilled combining
running, football and boxing- Doug Nichols, Jimmy
Murray, and many more ran, played footy, and
fought in boxing tents-Jimmy Sharman's travelling
boxing tent of 1950s.
14Evonne Goolagong
- Evonne Goolagong-Cawley, who beat fellow
Australian Margaret Court to win Wimbledon in
1971, has made a name for herself as an
Aboriginal activist. - The attitude of paternalism that the media
displayed towards her in her younger days
probably provided much of the motivation for her
entry into the world of activism. - Although times had changed enough to ensure that
she never suffered deliberate racial exclusion
like Eddie Gilbert did half a century earlier,
Goolagong-Cawley was still forced to deal with
the media constantly highlighting her
differences. Words used to describe her included
picaninny, dusky and tawny.
15Lionel Rose Reception 1968
- 250,000 strong crowd turned up in Melbourne in
1968 to celebrate the achievements of Aboriginal
boxer Lionel Rose, who had just become world
bantamweight boxing champion-who did he beat and
where? - Roses reception was the perfect example of the
changing times. While Aboriginal sportspeople who
succeeded at sport were just as equally lauded by
the press and adored by the people as their non-
Indigenous counterparts, racism coupled by
ignorance remained just below the surface.
Jacksons Track
Lionel Kosta, 1998
16Cathy Freeman, 2000
- Challenged misconceptions of Indigenous
Australia by using flag as a symbol of
Indigenous Australian nationhood and identity. - Inspired other Indigenous sportspeople younger
generation to set their sights high in sporting
achievements
Olympic Games, Sydney 2000
17FOOTBALL AS A PATH TO EQUALITY ACCEPTANCE
18Joe Johnson 1904-1906
- Regarded as one if not the first Indigenous
footballer to play in the Victorian Football
League, VFL (Joe Johnson played 55 games and won
two premierships with Fitzroy from 1904 to 1906) - He then went to Northcote to coach a young lad
named Doug Nichols.
19Marn-Grookn. Gunditjmara. Eng. "Game
Ballhttp//www.aboriginalfootball.com.au/marngro
ok.html
- It is believed this very game, played for
millennia, provided the lawmakers of Australian
football with some of the fundamentals of the
game we know and play today. - It was a mass game of keepings off with a round
ball about the size of an orange, which was a
possum skin stuffed with charcoal and bound by
kangaroo tail sinews (Poulter, Sharing Heritage
in Kulin Country, 2011 37),
20Origins of Australian Rules Footy
- Origins of Australian Rules are claimed to be
Marngrook with influence of Gaelic football first
played by the Irish in Australia in 1843 which
coincided with St Patricks Day. -
- However, some aspects of Australian football,
such as high marking, were undoubtedly influenced
by the Aboriginal game-will discuss other
attributes that Indigenous people have brought to
the game shortly.
21RISE OF INDIGENOUS FOOTBALLERS in 21 Century
Australia
- In 1982 to when the Krakouer brothers arrived at
North Melbourne there were 5 Indigenous players
in what was then the VFL (Age, June 18, 2005). - In (2005), there are 51 Indigenous footballers in
the AFL making up 8 of the competition. - In 2007 there are now 71 and increase of 20
Indigenous players in the space of years? What
does that represent (Koori Mail, 18 March, 2005).
22Cummeragunja 1888-2007
- Given the size of its population (500 at its
peak) its contribution to sport and particularly
football has been outstanding.
23Sir Doug Nicholls 1932-37
- Nicholls initially joined Carlton, but faced by
constant racist taunts from his own team mates he
moved to Fitzroy, where he played from 1932-37.
(story) - What makes Nicholls story so special is that he
went on to become an activist with the Aboriginal
Advancement League and was later knighted - a
rarity for an Indigenous Australian. - In 1976, Nicholls became the Governor of South
Australia, an incredible achievement given that
Aborigines were only granted voting rights in
l962 and only won the right to be included in
the census in 1967.
24Sir Doug Nicholls on Assimilation
- 'Let us enter your society on our terms, living
side by side with you but remaining at all times
a cultural group with our own identity' (speech
by Sir Doug Nicholls 1969, in Peterson and
Langton, 1983253).
Winner of Warracknabeal Gift, 1929
25Eddy Jackson Norm McDonald, 1947-1952
- Two of the first Indigenous Australians to
succeed at Australian football's highest level
between 1947 and 1952. - Both continued to play country football for many
years after their retirement from the 'big time'. - Jackson Coached Thornton
- (story)
- McDonald played with Golden Square in Bendigo
League.
26Indigenous equality recognition through sport
Pathways to the Future
Back Row Ian Charles, Frank Abrahams, Paul
Briggs, Terry Hood (d.), Jim Berg, Joe Swindle,
Ian Charles Robert Muir, Geoff Clark, Robert
Lowe, Gary Murray. Middle Dowie Bux, Billy Muir
(d.), Wayne Briggs, Alick Jackomas (d.)Team
Manager, Alec Smith, Des James, Gary Nelson.
Sitting Lionel McGee, John Murray Bert Williams
(d.).
- Presented to Academy of Sport Health Education
Program, University of Melbourne, 20 January 2011 - Dr Wayne Atkinson-Senior Lecturer
- School of Social Political Science
- University of Melbourne
27Key Events that bought about equality in
Indigenous participation in SportGreater
Awareness of Racism on and off the Field
28April 17, 1993, Victoria Park, Melbourne. Nicky
Winmar has just completed a best-on-ground
performance to help St. Kilda to a memorable
victory over Collingwood in round four of the
Australian Football League (AFL) season.
Winmar's courageous act led to a push by former
Essendon player Michael Long to create a racial
vilification policy adopted by the AFL (Age, 10
March, 2005).
29Winmar Incident (cont)
- If Winmar was the player that brought the issue
of racism to the media, an incident involving
Michael Long was almost certainly the instigator
for the creation of the AFLs anti-racism
program. In 1995, the Essendon champion
complained of suffering racist abuse from
Collingwood ruckman Damian Monkhorst. - AFLorganised mediation between the two players
failed to resolve the issue, and left with no
choice, the AFL moved quickly to introduce its
Code of Conduct. - Under the new rules, players could be fined or
suspended for on-field racist language. It is
also significant that the Code of Conduct was
introduced in the same year as the Federal
Governments Racial Hatred Act 1995. - The efforts of Winmar and Long should not be
underestimated. As sportspeople, they brought
racism to the fore of public debate, and helped
to pave the way for legislation that would have
been unthinkable only a decade earlier.
30Cultural Continuity through Sport, Health
Education
Cummera Footy Team,1927
Rumbalara Football Netball Club, Shepparton
Academy of Sport Health Education, Shepparton,
2005 (University of Melbourne)
Oncountry Learning Indigenous Studies visit to
RFNC Uni of Melb,2005.
31Cummeragunja Football Team Premiers, c.1927.
Henry Charles, Rupert Cooper, Gordon Aultern,
George Burns, Bill Atkinson, Gingo Morgan, Micky
McDonald, Selwyn Briggs, Frank Atkinson, Jacky
Cooper, Tim Ross,Mick Morgan, Aaron Briggs,
Henry Charles, Maurice Charles. Front Bob
Nelson, Tom Dunolly Snr, Dowie Nicholls, Tom
Dunolly Jnr.
32Statistics on Indigenous Players in AFL, 2010
- 19825
- 200551
- 200771
- 201083
- 1982-2005 90 increase in 23 years
- 2005-2010 50 increase in last 2 years.
- 2 of Aust Pop but over 15 of AFL, 2010
33Indigenous AFL Umpires
34Sport and Indigenous Recognition Conclusions
- It is true that sport has given Aborigines more
recognition and collective pride, than any other
single activity both from within their own
community and from the broader Australian
community. - Indigenous Australians still have a long struggle
ahead of them if they are to achieve equality.
They are still in a disadvantaged position. Even
in sport, where so much progress has been made,
there is much that still needs to be done (Colin
Tatz, Aborigines and Sport, 1987).
35Opportunities through Sport Health Education is
pathway to Future
Pride Integrity Respect Shared
Identity Solidarity
- Grab the ball use it to your teams advantage
36Rumbalara Football Netball Club A Holistic
Approach to the Future
37A Holistic Worldview of Sport, Health, Education
Community
38Questions for Discussion
- Why do Indigenous Australians perform so well in
sport? - Why are they so good at footy?
- Is Indigenous achievement in sport innate or a
learned, cultural trait or is it driven by social
and economic factors?