Harry Hewitt, sometimes spelled "Hewit", "Ewart" or "Hewett", ( – 23 January 1907) was an

Indigenous Australian Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...

er 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 The South Australian National Football League, or SANFL ( or ''S-A-N-F-L''), is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the state's governing body for the sport. Originally formed as t ...

(SANFL).

Early life

Hewitt was born in the south-east of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

. Hewitt was a member of the

Bungandidj The Bungandidj people are an Aboriginal Australian people from the Mount Gambier region in south-eastern South Australia, and also in western Victoria. Their language is the Bungandidj language. Bungandidj was historically frequently rendered a ...

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. From 1995 to 2018 the Point McLeay Mission church appeared on the Australian fifty-dollar note along with

David Unaipon David Ngunaitponi (28 September 1872 – 7 February 1967), known as David Unaipon, was an Aboriginal Australian man of the Ngarrindjeri people. He was a preacher, inventor and author. Unaipon's contribution to Australian society helped to bre ...

. Hewitt was said to be a "champion climber", once climbing a tall

gum tree Gum tree is a common name for smooth-barked trees and shrubs in several genera: * Eucalypteae, particularly: **''Eucalyptus'', which includes the majority of species of gum trees. **''Corymbia'', which includes the ghost gums and spotted gums. **' ...

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 A tomahawk is a type of single-handed axe used by the many Indigenous peoples and nations of North America. It traditionally resembles a hatchet with a straight shaft. In pre-colonial times the head was made of stone, bone, or antler, and Eur ...

. 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 Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the city centre and North Adelaide. The venue is predominantly used for cricket and Australian rules football, but has also played host to rugby le ...

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 The South Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club that competes in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). Known as the ''Panthers'', their home ground is Flinders University StadiumNorwood. Meanwhile, the 'Aboriginals' side, predominantly made up of those from Point McLeay, was supplemented by six Indigenous player from the

LeFevre Peninsula The Lefevre Peninsula is a peninsula located in the Australian state of South Australia located about northwest of the Adelaide city centre. It is a narrow sand spit of about running north from its connection to the mainland. The name given ...

. 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. Adelaide_Football_Club_1886

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

. 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 The ''Port Adelaide News'' was a newspaper published in Port Adelaide, South Australia between 1876 and 1933 with various sub-titles, several breaks in publication and periods of bi-weekly publication. History The ''Port Adelaide News'' was foun ...

, 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 The Kensington Oval is a stadium located to the west of the capital city Bridgetown on the island of Barbados. It is the pre-eminent sporting facility on the island and is primarily used for cricket. it has hosted many important and exciting ...

. 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

to play Medindie with boomerang demonstrations during the breaks. In June 1891, the ''South Australia Register'' highlighted Hewitt's game for Medindie in a win against

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

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 Fitzroy or FitzRoy may refer to: People As a given name *Several members of the Somerset family (Dukes of Beaufort) have this as a middle-name: **FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855) ** Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beau ...

. Port Adelaide's captain

Ken McKenzie Ken McKenzie (August 19, 1923April 9, 2003) was a Canadian newspaper publisher and sports journalist. He served as publicity director of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1946 to 1963. In 1947, he published the first NHL press and radio g ...

positioned Hewitt in the teams 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. ! colspan="7" , Harry Hewitt's top level Australian rules football matches , - !Date !Team !Opponent !Ground !Crowd !Result ! , - , 22 June 1889 ,

Medindie Medindie (formerly also known as Medindee or Medindi) is an inner northern suburb of Adelaide the capital of South Australia. It is located adjacent to the Adelaide Park Lands, just north of North Adelaide, and is bounded by Robe Terrace to the ...

, Port Adelaide ,

, , Loss , , - , 29 June 1889 ,

, Norwood ,

, , Loss , , - , 23 May 1891 ,

South Adelaide The South Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club that competes in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). Known as the ''Panthers'', their home ground is Flinders University Stadium Adelaide Oval Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the city centre and North Adelaide. The venue is predominantly used for cricket and Australian rules football, but has also played host to rugby le ...

, , Loss , , - , 30 May 1891 ,

, , Win , , - , 1 August 1891 , Port Adelaide , Fitzroy (VFA) ,

, 4000 , Win , , - , 2 July 1892 ,

South Adelaide The South Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club that competes in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). Known as the ''Panthers'', their home ground is Flinders University Stadium Adelaide Oval Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the city centre and North Adelaide. The venue is predominantly used for cricket and Australian rules football, but has also played host to rugby le ...

, 300 , Win ,

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. 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 it's 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. Jubilee Exhibition Building 1885

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 Sir Henry Ayers (now pron. "airs") (1 May 1821 – 11 June 1897) was the eighth Premier of South Australia, serving a record five times between 1863 and 1873. His lasting memorial is in the name Ayers Rock, also known as Uluru, which was en ...

. On 23 November 1887 the Point McLeay team played the Torrenside Cricket Club on

Jubilee Oval Jubilee Stadium, also known as Kogarah Oval or by its Naming rights, sponsored name Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, is a multipurpose stadium in Carlton, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. The stadium is mainly used for rugby league and the A-Leagu ...

. It was reported that the Point McLeay residents whilst visiting Adelaide stayed on the

Jubilee Exhibition Building The Jubilee Exhibition Building in Adelaide, South Australia, was built to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession to the throne on 20 June 1837. The jubilees of her Coronation on 28 June 1838, and of the Proclamation of Sou ...

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 Littlehampton is a town, seaside resort, and pleasure harbour, and the most populous civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It lies on the English Channel on the eastern bank of the mouth of the River Arun. It is south sout ...

. 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". 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. In 1894 an Indigenous cricket team featuring Hewitt trounced a white team in Goolwa 116 to 33. Hewitt was the leading runs scorer registering 51. In 1895 whilst playing for a Northern Adelaide cricket team known as the Federal eleven against a side representing Prospect, Hewitt scored 144 not out. During Christmas week in 1895 Hewitt was selected to play on Adelaide Oval in a match between 'South-West v. South-East' for the latter side. 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. In 1898 Hewitt captained the Point McLeay cricket team against a team representing Clare in Clare. During a break in the game the Point McLeay players provided boomerang throwing demonstrations. During Easter in 1899 the

Port Adelaide Cricket Club Port Adelaide Cricket Club is a cricket club in Adelaide, South Australia. Its home oval is the Port Reserve, Port Adelaide. The club was founded in 1893. Port Adelaide has played in the South Australian Grade Cricket League since 1897. Hist ...

travelled to the

Murray Mouth Murray Mouth is the point at which the River Murray meets the Southern Ocean. The Murray Mouth's location is changeable. Historical records show that the channel out to sea moves along the sand dunes over time. At times of greater river flow ...

via paddle steamer 'Singapore' to play a game against the Goolwa Cricket Club. During this match Hewitt played for Goolwa and was said to have been "in good bowling form, and secured the best average". John McKenzie, retired Port Adelaide footballer, was captain of the cricket club at this time. When Hewitt played for Port Adelaide in 1891, McKenzie was a teammate. On 9 February 1901 the

Sturt Cricket Club The Sturt Cricket Club (formerly the Unley Cricket Club) is a semi-professional cricket club in Adelaide, South Australia. It competes in the South Australian Grade Cricket League, which is administered by the South Australian Cricket Associatio ...

opened their new pavilion on Unley Oval with a match against a combined team representing Point McLeay and Point Pierce captained by Hewitt. On 11 February 1901 the Point McLeay and Point Pierce cricket teams played each other on

with Hewitt playing for the former. Point Pierce won this match by 23 runs. In his last season of cricket for a club representing Victor Harbor, Hewitt averaged 70 runs for the season.

Cricket technique

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". He was described as a "wonderful" fielder.

"Harry Hewitt in the realm of sport had few equals. At cricket he was quite an entertainment, especially at the wicket. I often tried to bowl him out, but without success. It was like bowling at a well-charred stump. Harry with his pants rolled knee high, no boots, standing right in line with the wicket, stern end almost to bowler, head low down, looking over left shoulder, and those flashing black eyes, made the more conspicuous by the large whites showing, was a most formidable object to bowl at."

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 Milang ( ) is a town and locality located in the Australian state of South Australia on the west coast of Lake Alexandrina (South Australia), Lake Alexandrina about south-east of the state capital of Adelaide city centre, Adelaide and about nor ...

. Hewitt wrote to, and was published by, the ''

Adelaide Advertiser Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The demo ...

'' regarding his grievances about the treatment of Indigenous people in regards to fishing licences. He was quoted as saying:

"Sir, As an aboriginal, may I say a few words about the fisherman's license? First, the white man took the land from us and killed our game, and now he expects us to pay £1 license before we can catch fish for the market. True, we can catch fish for our own use without a license, but what is the good of that? We have few opportunities for earning a livelihood, and now they are trying to stop us from earning a honest shilling. They are not getting rid of us fast enough, too they think they will starve us out. Perhaps, however, the Government have some means of keeping us in comfort, so that we won't have to trouble about getting our living – I am."

Corroborees

On the nights of 29 and 30 May 1885 members of Point McLeay performed two

corroboree A corroboree is a generic word for a meeting of Australian Aboriginal peoples. It may be a sacred ceremony, a festive celebration, or of a warlike character. A word coined by the first British settlers in the Sydney area from a word in the l ...

s on Adelaide Oval. This event was organised by the Government of South Australia to coincide with the week of the

Queen's Birthday The King's Official Birthday (alternatively the Queen's Official Birthday when the monarch is female) is the selected day in the United Kingdom and most Commonwealth realms on which the birthday of the monarch is officially celebrated in those ...

.Parsons, Michael (1997). "The tourist corroboree in South Australia to 1911" (PDF). ''Aboriginal History''. Australian National University. 21: 56 – via press-files. The corroboree was originally going to take place on Jubilee Oval but John Creswell of the

South Australian Cricket Association The South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) is the peak body for the sport of cricket in South Australia. The association administers the Southern Redbacks based in Adelaide. SACA is the controlling body for the South Australian Grade Cri ...

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. The corroboree took place after the 'Aboriginals v Wanderers' football match that Hewitt played in. Hewitt helped facilitate the corroboree as an Indigenous leader. 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. Over £200 was raised that evening. It was claimed that the profits raised from the corroboree would be used to benefit the Indigenous members of Point McLeay. On 10 February 1905 Hewitt personally organised a

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 A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning ...

. Later when Lucas was appointed Agent-General in London, he would provide demonstrations of throwing the boomerang in London's

Regent's Park Regent's Park (officially The Regent's Park) is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies of high ground in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the Borough of Camden (and historically betwee ...

crediting Hewitt for his proficiency. During Easter in 1906 the

Our Boys Institute Our Boys Institute (OBI) was a junior branch of YMCA. Opened in 1896, the club was housed in a purpose-built premises at 221 Wakefield Street, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The Our Boys Institute included lecture and games rooms, indoor ...

, a branch of the

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...

, visited Victor Harbour and Hewitt provided boomerang demonstrations for the organisations children.

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 a

man. Hewitt's first wife was Mary Unaipon. The couple married in 1884. Mary was the daughter of

James Unaipon James Unaipon, born James Ngunaitponi, (c. 1835 – 1907) was an Australian Indigenous preacher of the Warrawaldie (also spelt Waruwaldi) Lakalinyeri of the Ngarrindjeri. Born James Ngunaitponi, he took the name James Reid in honour of the Sc ...

and the brother of

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

. Hewitt and Mary had a daughter named Ruth. Ruth was a pianist. Mary died in 1891. Hewitt's second marriage was to Agnes. It was suggested in 1959 that the local geographic landmark in Goolwa colloqualily referred to as "Aggie's Knob" was named after Agnes. Hewitt fathered a son with Agnes called Oliver. On 15 August 1917 Oliver enlisted for the Australian Imperial Force. Oliver served as a private for Australia during World War 1. Hewitt was said to be "remarkably good" at English. He could "read and write, and was conversant with a variety of subjects". It was said that "Hewitt was a keen reader, and displayed wide knowledge of Australian and overseas events as outlined in his daily newspaper. It was stated that had Hewitt been provided an education at a young age he would have "made a fine business man". He also enjoyed dancing and was described as being "remarkably light on his feet for a heavy 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". The boat cost the Point McLeay Mission £120 in 1886 and was named after the first female Indigenous Australian in South Australia claimed to embrace Christianity. 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.

Death

On the morning of 24 January 1907, Hewitt was found dead due an impact to the head which had crushed his skull. The only witness, Jennie Tripp, said that a quantity of wine had been consumed the previous evening before Hewitt and his friend Tommy Lawson began fighting. Hewitt had struck her when she tried to intervene, and she did not see the blow that killed him, but later found a length of wood which she believed was the weapon used. Lawson, who was drunk when arrested the following morning, and at the inquest was put on remand for his murder. 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 The Ngarrindjeri people are the traditional Aboriginal Australian people of the lower Murray River, eastern Fleurieu Peninsula, and the Coorong of the southern-central area of the state of South Australia. The term ''Ngarrindjeri'' means "belo ...

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.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hewitt, Harry Australian rules footballers from South Australia Indigenous Australian players of Australian rules football North Adelaide Football Club players Port Adelaide Football Club players (all competitions) 1907 deaths Alcohol-related deaths in Australia People murdered in South Australia