Indigenous pioneer inducted into Hall of Fame

One of the country's finest cricketing pioneers, Johnny Mullagh, has been inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame, becoming the first Aboriginal player to receive the honour.

Mullagh, a Jardwadjali man from Western Victoria whose real name was Unaarrimin, starred for the 1868 Aboriginal XI during their tour of England when they became the first sporting team from Australia to tour internationally.

Said to be one of the best players of his era, he played 45 of 47 matches during that tour, taking 245 wickets at 10 and scoring 1698 runs at 23.65, including 94 against Reading.

He was also part of the third cricket match ever scheduled at the MCG on Boxing Day in 1866, playing for the Aboriginal and T. W. Wills XI, who took the field at the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) in front of one of the biggest crowds seen in that time.

He was born in the West Wimmera region of Victoria around 1843.

A 2016 edition of The Yorker – the journal of the MCC LIbrary – shared insight into Mullagh's journey to that 1868 side and his life that tour; revealing he was a groom at Pine Hill station before moving to the Fitzgerald property at Mullagh, where he was taught cricket by David Edgar and soon worked his way into the Aboriginal side.

He took five wickets against Hamilton and top scored against Balmoral, before that famous match at the MCG on Boxing Day in 1866, where he top scored in the second innings with 33 runs.

Following his return to Australia from the 1868 England tour, Mullagh became a professional for the MCC, playing eight matches, with a top score of 69 not out.

He took the field in one first-class match for Victoria against Lord Harris’ XI in March 1879, top-scoring in the second innings with 36 runs, and continued playing club cricket in Harrow until 1890.

"Johnny Mullagh and the 1868 Aboriginal team paved the way for so many future Australians to showcase their skill and talent on the world stage," Australian Cricket Hall of Fame Chairman Peter King said.

"To consider the team’s feats were in an era dictated by inequality, makes their story even more remarkable and worthy of recognition.

"Johnny starred in the third cricket match ever scheduled on Boxing Day at the MCG in 1866 where he was his team’s highest runs scorer in both innings with scores of 14 and 33 respectively before becoming the standout performer on the 1868 tour of England.

"The Australian Cricket Hall of Fame is proud to honour Johnny Mullagh for his contribution to Australia’s cricketing history and national identity."

The Yorker also outlined details of Mullagh's life outside of his cricket, where he led a solitary existence in a small hut just outside the Pine Hill station, where he made a living as a rabbiter.

After passing away at his bush camp known as “Johnny’s Dam” in 1891, Mullagh was buried with his bat and stumps, and each Harrovian cricketer threw a sprig of blackberries and yellow flowers into his grave, symbolising the club colours.

The Hamilton Spectator described Mullagh in his obituary as "the (W.G) Grace of Aboriginal cricketers", and a memorial to Mullagh has been erected in Harrow, where the local sports ground is the Johnny Mullagh Oval.

Mullagh’s connections to the MCC and MCG have been recognised this year with the introduction of the Mullagh Medal, to be presented to the official player of the match at the conclusion of the Boxing Day Test against India.

The medal is a recreation of the original belt buckle worn by the 1868 team.

While biosecurity protocols will prevent a physical presentation of the medal this year, a video message from a descendant of a player from the 1868 tour will congratulate the winner.

Uncle Richard Kennedy, the great-great grandson of allrounder Yanggendyinanyuk (Dick-a-Dick) will congratulate this year's winner via video message.

Different descendants of the 1868 team will present the medal each year.

The Australian Cricket Hall of Fame was officially opened in 1996 and the induction of Mullagh brings the total number of inductees to 55.

Two more players will be inducted later this summer.