Aboriginal Cricket Tour
St John's Wood Rd London Greater London
Members of the Aboriginal Cricket team – Photo – National Museum of Australia – here
Name
Lords Cricket Ground
Connection
An Australian Aboriginal cricket team played here in 1868
Location
St John's Wood Rd, London NW8 8QN
How to get there
Nearest underground station: St John’s Wood (Bakerloo Line)
Story
This is the Middlesex County Cricket Club's ground and traditional home of English cricket. There is a library and museum on site. Visits can be made to the library and in the museum you can ask to view an Aboriginal weapon (nulla nulla). This was used by Dick-a-Dick, a member of the team, to demonstrate skill in defending against thrown cricket balls during match intervals.
The Aboriginal cricket tour took place in 1868 when settled Australia was only 90 years old. The tour occurred when movement of Aboriginal people was much less restricted in Australia, allowing travel of Aboriginal people within Australia and to overseas destinations. Such movement became much more restrictive after the tour.
The nulla nulla used by Dick-a-Dick
Further information
Key reference:
Mallett, A., Black Lords of Summer: Story of the 1868 Aboriginal Tour of England and Beyond, Master sportsman series, 2002
More about Lords – here
From Wikipedia – here
From National Museum of Australia – here
First Day cover of the 1868 tour commemorative stamp (received at my London home)