Harry Hewitt

Early life The Point McLeay Mission church. Point McLeay has now reverted to its original name used by the Indigenous population, Raukkan. Around this time David Uniapon would have been born at the Point McLeay Mission. From 1995 to 2018 the Point McLeay Mission church appeared on the Australian fifty-dollar note along with David Unaipon.

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 won this first encounter five goals to nil with Hewitt named among the best players for Point Mcleay. Strahyalbyn won the game whilst Hewitt was named among Point McLeay's best players. Strathalbyn won the game two goals, six behinds to Point McLeay's five behinds. 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 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. For this second match the Wanderers side featured about 12 prominent SAFA players. Hewitt was again captain of the Point MacLeay team. By this time the Indigenous Point McLeay players had developed a reputation in Adelaide.

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. Norwood proved too strong for Medindie who failed to score against the eventual premiers.

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.

Date Team Opponent Ground Crowd Result 22 June 1889 Medindie Port Adelaide Adelaide Oval Loss 29 June 1889 Medindie Norwood Kensington Oval Loss 23 May 1891 Medindie South Adelaide Adelaide Oval Loss 30 May 1891 Medindie Adelaide Kensington Oval Win 1 August 1891 Port Adelaide Fitzroy (VFA) Adelaide Oval 4000 Win 2 July 1892 Medindie South Adelaide Adelaide Oval 300 Win Later football years The Southern South Australia team that played in the Annual 'North–South' game at the Adelaide Oval on August 18, 1894. Hewitt is pictured at the far right of the middle row. 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. 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.

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. Hewitt took 6 wickets for 12 runs during Milang's second innings. The 'Wanderers' team which won the match included Arthur Ernest Ayers, son of Henry Ayers. The Point McLeay residents were, in addition to the cricket match, in Adelaide to see the 1887 Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition. 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 1893 Hewitt played in the 'North v. South' match on Adelaide Oval for the latter team. In the first innings Hewitt scored 42 runs before being bowled by John Humphreys. In the second innings Hewitt lost his wicket on the first ball. The South team would end up winning the match. Hewitt was the leading runs scorer registering 51.

In an 1897 edition of "Cricket Notes" in the Adelaide Evening Journal, when discussing local country cricketers in South Australia, he was described as being "The best batsman we met was the evergreen Harry Hewitt at Port Victor, whose batting, bowling, and fielding were worthy of his palmiest days". During the 1897-98 cricket season playing for the Goolwa Cricket Club, Hewitt averaged 64.75 runs batting and bowled with an economy of 7.37.

In July 1898 Hewitt wrote to a South Australian District Cricket club asking if he could play. During a break in the game the Point McLeay players provided boomerang throwing demonstrations. During this match Hewitt played for Goolwa and was said to have been "in good bowling form, and secured the best average". When Hewitt played for Port Adelaide in 1891, McKenzie was a teammate. On 11 February 1901 the Point McLeay and Point Pierce cricket teams played each other on Adelaide Oval with Hewitt playing for the former. Point Pierce won this match by 23 runs. It was said that as a cricketer Hewitt possessed a "very fine late cut stroke". Hewitt was described as having an "unusual stance at the wicket, but knew how to hit the ball with considerable power—and where to place it". In regards to his running between the wickets it was stated that "Harry would be at the opposite wicket almost before the other fellow knew what was happening".

Indigenous representative

Criticism of fishing licence

In the 1880s Hewitt fished in the Inman River with his friend Leonard Lovegrove. In his later years Hewitt sought to make a living as a fisherman in Milang.

Corroborees Indigenous Australian's from Point McLeay performed a corroboree on Adelaide Oval from 29 and 30 May 1885. On the nights of 29 and 30 May 1885 members of Point McLeay performed two corroborees on Adelaide Oval. The corroboree was originally going to take place on Jubilee Oval but John Creswell of the South Australian Cricket Association intervened close to the staging of the event and successfully negotiated for the use of Adelaide Oval in exchange for half the event's ticket proceeds. It was estimated that 20,000 spectators were present for the corroborate on the night of 29 May. This attendance represented one-sixth of Adelaide's population and was the largest event staged at Adelaide Oval in the nineteenth century.

On 10 February 1905 Hewitt personally organised a corroboree with 20 other Indigenous Australians in Victor Harbour and it was said "almost the whole town turned out to witness the event". Hewitt's self organised corroboree was considered notable by historian Michael Parsons for three reasons being that it was "independently organised", deliberately located in a tourist area, that being Victor Harbour, and featured "war dance" and "actions of warlike character".

Boomerang demonstrations Hewitt met Sir Edward Lucas in Victor Harbour and taught the latter how to throw a boomerang. Later when Lucas was appointed Agent-General in London, he would provide demonstrations of throwing the boomerang in London's Regent's Park crediting Hewitt for his proficiency.

Temperance As early as the 1880s Hewitt espoused his proudness of being a member of the Blue Ribbon Army temperance movement. On 3 June 1885 Hewitt addressed an audience in the Adelaide City Mission praising temperance. He would do the same fortnightly at the Point Macleay Mission urging locals to the claims of temperance and would organise men to play football games in Adelaide who were members of the Blue Ribbon Army.

Personal life Hewitt was employed as a boatman by the Point McLeay Mission and was responsible for the schooner 'Teen Minnie' (pictured). Hewitt was a Bungandidj man.

Hewitt's first wife was Mary Unaipon. Mary was the daughter of James Unaipon and the brother of David. Ruth was a pianist. Mary died in 1891.

Hewitt's second marriage was to Agnes. Hewitt fathered a son with Agnes called Oliver. Oliver served as a private for Australia during World War 1.

Hewitt was said to be "remarkably good" at English. It was stated that had Hewitt been provided an education at a young age he would have "made a fine business man". He was noted to have "excelled as an acrobat and gymnast, and was for some time connected with a travelling circus".

By 1907 Hewitt had become employed as a boatman by the Point McLeay Mission. That year he was in charge of a boat named the "Teen Minnie".

At one point in time Hewitt was associated with the Salvation Army and attained the rank of corporal in that organisation.

Hewitt was also a noted swimmer. At the trial, which was for manslaughter, the jury accepted the argument that the stick produced could not have caused the fatal injury, and if he had struck the much stronger Hewitt, it was in self-defence, so returned a verdict of "not guilty". When Hewitt was buried his dog loyally stayed by his grave. Following Hewitt's death the Ngarrindjeri observing their own laws, did not visit the site.

On 13 November 1930 a letter in the Observer by D.H. Griffin, the Mayor of Victor Harbour, emphatically held that Hewitt was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of his death. D.H. Griffin goes on to insinuate that Hewitt was murdered by being beaten to death with a hammer.