First XI Photograph-Keep it in Harrow.

An original composite photograph of the Aboriginal First XI of 1868 needs to stay in Australia and not be "snapped up" by overseas collectors. More importantly, it needs to stay in The Harrow Discovery Centre, the museum telling this story since 2004 for the people that it means the most to, the Wotjobaluk, Jardwadjali and Gunditjamara people.

 

The Johnny Mullagh Interpretive Centre INC., aka The Harrow Discovery Centre, is a museum dedicated to telling the story of Unaarrimin- Johnny Mullagh and the First XI of 1868, Australia's first international sporting team. They were from the westernmost region of Victoria, proud Jardwadjali, Wotjobaluk and Gunditjamara men who took their culture to the world stage while playing their newly acquired game of cricket in a time of early colonization. Investors and speculators backed the tour; a poster was made to promote the team; they were dressed in the best English attire and sailed to England, considered exotic curiosities, returning to their country a year later after a grueling tour.

Many of the team's weapons and cultural items were left in England, now housed at Lords Cricket Ground and the Royal Albert Museum, including an original composite photograph of the team by Patrick Dawson Photographic Studio in Hamilton, Victoria.

After missing out (by a day) on securing this original photograph in 2020, the desire to eventually obtain an original photograph to stay in Harrow for its people, ancestors and descendants is of utmost importance. There are only a handful of these original photos in existence. The Harrow Discovery Centre now has the opportunity to retain one for the museum that has been honoring the team's story since 2004.

 

The photograph the HDC missed out on was sold to a collector in the UK; it seems the First XI of 1868 is still considered curious and collectible to English society.

Australian Aboriginal artifacts and memorabilia must stay and, in some cases, come back to Australia, and this is our opportunity to keep this photograph here in Harrow, Wotjobaluk country.

If funding for the acquisition is met and exceeded, funds will be put in a trust to establish a purchasing fund for future items for the collection as they become available.