Harry Hewitt

Harry Hewitt, sometimes spelled "Hewit", "Ewart" or "Hewett", ( – 23 January 1907) was an Indigenous Australian cricketer and Australian rules footballer. In 1889, Hewitt played for the Medindie Football Club, and so is believed to be the first Indigenous Australian to play in the South Australian Football Association (SAFA), known today as the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).

Early life

Hewitt was born in the south-east of South Australia. Hewitt was a member of the Bungandidj people. As a child he was taken to the Point McLeay Mission station. Around this time David Uniapon would have been born at the Point McLeay Mission.Graham Jenkin, Conquest of the Ngarrindjeri, The Story of the Lower Murray lakes Tribes,(1979)1985 Rigby reprint p.185 From 1995 to 2018 the Point McLeay Mission church appeared on the Australian fifty-dollar note along with David Unaipon.

Hewitt was said to be a "champion climber", once climbing a tall gum tree on the banks of the Hindmarsh River in Victor Harbor and carving his initials in it at the top of the trunk with a tomahawk.

Alongside Hewitt other noted Indigenous Australian sportsmen from Point McLeay were Mansell and Ephraim Tripp.

Football During the 1880s Hewitt and other Point McLeay Mission Indigenous Australians would travel to Adelaide to play Australian rules football matches against city teams. During their stays in Adelaide the Point McLeay players would often sleep under the trees at Unley Park.

Strathalbyn plays Point McLeay (1884) On 26 July 1884 the first game between the Strathalbyn Football Club and Point McLeay, in Strathalbyn. Strathalbyn won this first encounter five goals to nil with Hewitt named among the best players for Point Mcleay. On 2 August 1884 Strathalbyn travelled to Milang to play the footballers of Point McLeay. Strahyalbyn won the game whilst Hewitt was named among Point McLeay's best players. On 16 August 1884 a rematch between Strathalbyn and Point McLeay took place, this time in Strathalbyn. Strathalbyn won the game two goals, six behinds to Point McLeay's five behinds. Hewitt was named as one of Point McLeay's best players.

Exhibition games (1885) On 29 May 1885 a football match on Adelaide Oval was organised by the SAFA between an All-Indigenous team (titled 'Aboriginals') captained by Hewitt and a combined team (titled 'Wanderers') selected by retired Port Adelaide player Thomas Smith composed of players from Port Juniors, LeFevre Peninsula, Fitzroy and Kingston. The 'Wanderers' side benefited by the inclusion of James "Joker" Hall and Harold Haldane of South Adelaide and George McKee and Edward "Ted" Woods of Norwood. Meanwhile, the 'Aboriginals' side, predominantly made up of those from Point McLeay, was supplemented by six Indigenous player from the LeFevre Peninsula. Before the game started there was some criticism that the Wanderers team would be too strong for the All-Indigenous team. The match was very close and ended in a draw with most who attended the game holding the view that Hewitt's side had the better of the play. The All-Indigenous team played the match barefoot.

On 2 June 1885, after the success of the 'Wanderers v Aboriginals' game, another match involving Hewitt and other Indigenous players was organised and played on Adelaide Oval. This second game was advertised as the 'Point MacLeay Blackfellows v. Wanderers'. For this second match the Wanderers side featured about 12 prominent SAFA players. Hewitt was again captain of the Point MacLeay team. The Point MacLeay team would win this second match by one goal.

In July 1885 the Point McLeay team returned to Adelaide to play another series of games. By this time the Indigenous Point McLeay players had developed a reputation in Adelaide. On 6 July 1885 a match on Adelaide Oval between Point McLeay and senior SAFA club Old Adelaide attracted a, then respectable, crowd of 3,000 with Hewitt again captain. The Point McLeay team would impressively record a draw against Old Adelaide.

On 6 July 1885, Hewitt captained the Point McLeay team against a side composed Prince Alfred and Whinham College players with the college team winning by 1 goal.

South Australian Football Association (1889–1892) On the 22 June 1889 Hewitt made his senior debut for Medindie in the South Australian Football Association (SAFA) in a game against Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval. In the lead up to this game some of Medindie's senior players were unavailable leading that club to offer Hewitt the opportunity to make his SAFA debut. The Port Adelaide News, a local newspaper at the time, wrote a glowing appraisal of his play stating "The Medindies had their full strength; Hewit, an aboriginal, was a decided acquisition, and although he played barefooted was about the best man amongst them, his alacrity all through the game eliciting the applause of the spectators. He, too, appeared to have a thorough knowledge of the rules of the game, as he never had a mark given against him the whole of the afternoon." Hewitt noted with pride after the match that most of the players on his team were members of the Blue Ribbon Army but was disappointed that around nine of the best Point McLeay footballers were unable to play in the match.

On 29 June 1889 Hewitt had retained his place in the Medindie side and was joined by another Indigenous Australian, Alfie Spender, in a match against Norwood on Kensington Oval. Norwood proved too strong for Medindie who failed to score against the eventual premiers.

On the 13 July 1889 Hewitt and Medindie organised to bring the Point McLeay football team to Kensington Oval to play Medindie with boomerang demonstrations during the breaks.1889 'The Spirit Of The Insolvency Laws.', South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839–1900), 13 July, p. 5., viewed 11 Nov 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article54594346

In June 1891, the South Australia Register highlighted Hewitt's game for Medindie in a win against Adelaide at Kensington Oval insisting that "A word of praise must be given to Harry Hewitt, the aboriginal. Only once during the game, when he got hold of the ball, was he caught and spoiled. His running especially deserves recording, and he ought to prove of great benefit to the Medindies". Another newspaper, the Adelaide Observer considered him a unanimous best afield for the match.

On 1 August 1891, Hewitt played for against a travelling Fitzroy at Adelaide Oval. Port Adelaide's captain Ken McKenzie positioned Hewitt in the team's full-back line at the start of the match. In the third quarter Hewitt "cleverly" set up a goal that was kicked by John McKenzie, brother of Ken. During the game the Port Adelaide supporters voiced their criticism regarding a holding the ball call made against Hewitt by umpire Schaeffer. Port Adelaide defeated Fitzroy by 2 goals.

Later football years

In 1892 Hewitt was selected in a representative side from the Southern half of South Australia to play a team representing the Northern half with players from 31 clubs across the state having players submitted. Hewitt's Southern side would win the match with the South Australian Chronicle praising the play of himself and fellow Point McLeay teammate Wilson stating that "A feature of the game was the introduction of four natives from the Point Mcleay station, and as far as two of them — J. Wilson and Harry Hewitt are concerned they played the game of the forty in the first half, and subsequently did splendid service for their side. Both are strongly-built men, play a gentlemanly game, and are most unselfish. Wilson in the ruck and Hewitt roving treated the spectators to some clever football, their agility in nonplussing their opponents and exceedingly smart passing on from one to another being unsurpassed, and the spectators time after time expressed their approval of the brilliancy of their work."

During 1897 Hewitt played for the Milang Football Club. During that year one third of the Milang team were Indigenous Australians.Hughes, Karen (12 August 2012). "Micro-Histories and Things That Matter". Australian Feminist Studies. 27 (73): 273 – via tandfonline. Hewitt also played for Goolwa in 1897.

Football legacy Hewitt is considered to be the first Indigenous Australian to play in the SANFL, known as the SAFA in 1889.

In 2020 the Port Adelaide Football Club, for the Australian Football League's (AFL) Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round, produced a guernsey that featured the names of all its Indigenous Australian players up until that point in time, including Hewitt.

Cricket On 15 April 1882 the North Adelaide Cricket Club travelled to Milang to play a team of locals supplemented by some residents of Point McLeay including Hewitt. The Milang and Point McLeay combination defeated North Adelaide by 9 runs. In a match report for this game noted that "Wilson and Hewett (natives) at wicket and point respectively particularly distinguished themselves." On 9 November 1885 the Milang Cricket Club travelled via a paddle steamer called the 'Bourke' to Point McLeay to play a game against the missions Indigenous population. Hewitt took 6 wickets for 12 runs during Milang's second innings. The Point McLeay team won by 16 runs.

On 21 November 1887 a cricket match between the 'Wanderers v. Aboriginals' was played on Adelaide Oval with the latter team made up of players from Point McLeay including Hewitt. The 'Wanderers' team which won the match included Arthur Ernest Ayers, son of Henry Ayers. On 23 November 1887 the Point McLeay team played the Torrenside Cricket Club on Jubilee Oval. It was reported that the Point McLeay residents whilst visiting Adelaide stayed on the Jubilee Exhibition Building grounds and were not allowed to leave the area without permission and were not to do so alone. The Point McLeay residents were, in addition to the cricket match, in Adelaide to see the 1887 Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition.

In 1892, Hewitt had a batting average of 130 for Point McLeay in the local competition. On 15 January 1892 Hewitt played for a side called 'The Federals' against Medindie where he scored 126 runs. On 12 March 1892 Hewitt scored 107 runs, not out, for Point McLeay in a win over Mount Barker in Littlehampton. In a match report of the Littlehampton game it was said that "the bowlers did not have much trouble with the other natives, but Hewitt's long stand quite demoralised the team". In light of these performances a regular writer for the South Australian Register wrote under the pseudonym 'Point' showed support for Hewitt writing "Excellent performances these. Go on, Harry, my boy, keep at it, and may you get into an intercolonial before long".

Harry Hewitt

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