At the time, there was significant British interest in what was seen as “exotic peoples from the Empire,” Whimpress writes, “especially those under threat of extinction,” giving the scheme still more appeal.
After 74 days at sea, they disembarked at Gravesend, England, and were apparently warmly received by a curious public, who were particularly drawn to demonstrations of boomerang and spear throwing during breaks in play, which Lawrence promoted as “traditional Aboriginal games.”
The players themselves were introduced with nicknames like Johnny Mullagh (for Unaarrimin), or Cuzens (who had been known by Yellana), and wore different colored sashes and caps emblazoned with a silver boomerang and bat.
“They are the first Australian natives who have visited this country on such a novel expedition, but it must not be inferred they that they are savages,” The Sporting Life, a British sports newspaper, reported after an early match.
“The cricket was good-quality club cricket, of a reasonable standard,” Whimpress said. “They did well, considering their opponents and the very foreign climatic conditions.” The players were almost always either traveling or working, playing 99 days out of a possible 126, across 15 English counties.
Their success, Chris Harte writes in the Penguin History of Australian Cricket, was a clear indication of Aboriginal people’s ability “to adapt their substantial skills to European ways,” and a number of the players were all-rounders of remarkable prowess.
But the tour had its tragic moments, too. Though it earned its organizers thousands of pounds, there is no evidence that the team was paid for its work, and one player, Bripumyarrimin, who was known as King Cole, died after a “chest complaint.” Two others, whom historians believe were in poor health and perhaps grieving their teammate, returned to Australia two months ahead of schedule.
Source : Nytimes
