Journey to the MCG

This project is the winner of Reconciliation Victoria 2017 Community HART (Helping Achieve Reconciliation Together) Award – small community category.

The journey commenced in Harrow, in Western Victoria, with the official launch at the annual Johnny Mullagh Shield cricket match on Sunday March 13, 2016. This is part of the Johnny Mullagh Championships weekend held in Harrow each year.

The launch involved local Aboriginal community leaders and descendants of the original Aboriginal Cricket Team and the original property settlers who taught the Aboriginals to play cricket, together with invited dignitaries from the MCC, Cricket and Government. At the launch the first message was written in the commemorative Message Book in the local Wergaia language and a Message Stick was presented to the West Wimmera Shire on behalf the local Aboriginal Community by Richard Kennedy of the Wotjobaluk Clan.

Each Municipality from the West Wimmera to Melbourne, via the route taken by the Aboriginal Cricket Team in 1866, held a formal function to welcome the Message Book to their region and included a message of reconciliation and support of the Aboriginal Cricket Team. Local Aboriginal Communities were also involved, together with community groups, sporting groups and schools, all commemorating the Aboriginal Cricket Team of 1866 with message of support.

The Councils involved in the first project of the Journey in 2016:

• West Wimmera Shire Council on Sunday March 13 Official Launch in Harrow

• Southern Grampians Shire Council on Wednesday April 13 in Hamilton

• Ararat Rural City on Tuesday May 17 in Ararat

• Corangamite Shire Council in Skipton on June 28

• Pyrenees Shire Council on Tuesday July 19 in Beaufort

• Golden Plains Shire Council on Tuesday August 23 in Linton

• Ballarat City Council on Wednesday September 14 in Ballarat

• Moorabool Shire Council on Wednesday October 6 in Bacchus Marsh

• Melton City Council on Monday November 21 in Melton

• Brimbank City Council  November 22 in Sunshine

This initial journey culminated with and official ceremony in Yarra Park outside the MCG on Boxing Day 2016 with a ceremony at the ‘scar tree’ involving with handover of the Message Stick to the Chairman of the Melbourne Cricket Club and the commemorative Message Book to Hon Dan Tehan MP who was representing the Prime Minister.

While the Message Stick remained at the Melbourne Cricket Club, the Message Book continued on the journey which included the Australia vs. England Ashes Test Match at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2018. The Message Book travelled to England with the ‘2018 Aboriginal XI’ as part of the 150th Anniversary celebrations of the 1868 Aboriginal Cricket Team tour. The book was then on display at the Australian Embassy in London before returning to Australia and is now held at the Melbourne Cricket Club Library.