Stamp of approval for 1868 tourists

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the following contains images of people who have died.

The commemorations to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the 1868 Aboriginal team that toured the UK continue, with Australia Post to release a special stamp to mark the event.

The stamp is the latest in a series of events to honour the milestone tour, with men's and women's Aboriginal XI squads to travel to England in June to mark the anniversary of the first international tour by an Australian team in any sport.

The 1868 Aboriginal XI played 47 matches against county and local teams throughout England across a six-month period.

The First Cricket Tour: 150 Years stamp will be released on May 1 and features 10 Aboriginal members of the original 1868 playing squad, as well as captain Charles Lawrence, an English professional who coached and mentored the Aboriginal players, and team manager W Shepherd.

The stamp design, by Phil Ellett of Creative Ethos, incorporates player portraits from one of the few remaining photos of the Aboriginal XI taken while on tour in 1868, from the collection of the National Library of Australia.

The portrait is of the team in July 1868, midway through their tour, along with their manager. The stamp does not feature King Cole (Bripumyarrimin) who contracted a fatal case of tuberculosis early in the tour, nor Sundown (Ballrinjarrimin) or Jim Crow (Lytejerbillijun) who returned home soon after.

The background of the stamp design is a fence typical of those that existed at sporting fields at the time, taken from a photograph of the Lord’s ground in England. Many matches during this era, however, were played on unused fields, rather than dedicated sporting grounds.

Australia Post researchers worked with some of the descendants of the original touring party, including Richard Kennedy, the great-great grandson to allrounder Dick-a-Dick (Yangendyinanyuk), and Ian Friend, the great-great-grandson of Lawrence,.

Lawrence had toured Australia in 1861 with an All England XI and took up a position in NSW as a professional coach. He spent several months in the Western Districts of Victoria training and coaching players before selecting the team to visit England.

"Now to be honoured with a stamp is another significant recognition of this celebrated team from 150 years ago. We all should be very proud of their achievements,” said Friend.

Kennedy echoed this pride: “I believe that this team would be the greatest team ever to tour. They started to play an alien game in 1864 and four years later, they tackled the English in their national sport and drew with them.

“I am thankful to Australia Post for the honour they have bestowed upon them. Every member of the team deserved to be recognised and honoured for their deeds."

Also released is a cover envelope, featuring an etching of the 1866 Boxing Day match between an Aboriginal XI and the Melbourne Cricket Club, played at the MCG. The envelope also features a boomerang and bat cap pin from Lawrence's memorabilia collection.

Items from the Australia Post collection are available here.

The 1868 Aboriginal XI: Bullocky (Bullchanach), Mosquito (James Couzens, Grougarrong), Charley Dumas (Pripumuarraman), Peter (Arrahmunijarrimun), Dick-a-Dick (Yangendyinanyuk), Red Cap (Brimbunyah), Jim Crow (Lytejerbillijun), Sundown (Ballrinjarrimin), Johnny Cuzens (Zellanach), Tiger (Bonnibarngeet), Johnny Mullagh (Unaarrimin), Twopenny (Jarrawuk/Murrumgunarrimin), King Cole (Bripumyarrimin), Charles Lawrence (captain, coach).