James Wandin
Encyclopedia
James Wandin also known as Jim, Jimmy, or Juby, was the ngurungaeta
of the Wurundjeri
till his death in February 2006. He was the first Australian rules football
er of Aboriginal descent to play with St Kilda Football Club in 1952–1953.
, the last traditional ngurungaeta of the Wurundjeri-willam clan. He was the last person born at Coranderrk
Station, in 1933, in the home of his grandmother, Jemima Wandin. When the Station was closed in 1923 Jemima Wandin was one of 5 elderly people who refused to leave. She is buried in the Coranderrk Cemetery. His father, Jarlo Wandoon, tried to enlist for World War I, but was rejected due to being an Aboriginal. When he attempted to enlist under his whitefella name, James Wandin, he was accepted into the army and served in France and is listed under that name on the honour roll in the Healesville RSL. On returning home Jarlo Wandoon had to get permission from the police to visit his mother, was escorted onto Coranderrk, and was only allowed half an hour with her before he was sent to off to the Lake Tyers mission in Gippsland. Much of Coranderrk was divided up and sold for soldier settlement allotments. Jarlo found work with the Postmaster-General's Department
, and was able to buy a block of land at Healesville
– a home for his family on Wurundjeri land.
with the Healesville seconds. The team won the premiership and James Wandin was awarded the Best and Fairest. He moved on to play with the seniors who won a premiership in 1951. He joined St Kilda Football Club in 1952, after a period of training with them at Junction Oval. He was the first Aboriginal footballer with St Kilda, playing centre half forward. Other Aboriginal players in the VFL at the time were Essendon's Norm McDonald
, Melbourne's Eddie Jackson. He left St Kilda Football Club after just 17 games due to "homesickness" and what he later reflected as a lack of support.
In 2003 Wandin reflected on the racist taunts he faced during games in a report in The Age newspaper: "Opposition players would call you niggers and all that, the whole lot, Kooris and whatever week in, week out. Pretty rash things said, I can tell you. You had to just deal with it yourself, nothing like what Michael Long's got now going. You dealt with it, you just got on with the game."
He was called up for National Service in 1952.
After leaving St Kilda Football Club he took up a position of player coach in 1954 with the Healesville seniors and coached until 1961. He joined the PMG Department and worked for 37 years, but continuing to coach football at Healesville and Apollo Bay.
in the Wurundjeri nation. He was also President of the Wurundjeri Tribe Land Compensation and Cultural Heritage Council
.
In 2000 James Wandin and Carolyn Briggs, representing the Wurundjeri and Boonerwurung
peoples of the Kulin
nation, gave historic welcome to country speeches at a sitting of the Victorian Parliament on 26 May 2000. Parliament Hill was noted in Wandin's speech as one of the Wurundjeri ceremonial corroboree
grounds.
He concluded his speech to parliament saying:
his successor as Wurundjeri Ngurungaeta
. After his death his partner, Judy Freeman, symbolicly passed to Murrundindi a lil-lal, or hunting boomerang, and a sprig of pale yellow wattle. Several hundred people attended Healesville football oval to pay their respects to a respected Wurundjeri elder and great footballer. He was buried at Healesville Cemetery, in the shadow of Mount Riddell, as he requested.
The Annual best and fairest player award in division two of the Yarra Valley Mountain Football League is called the Wandin Medal. The James (Juby) Wandin Memorial Match has been established by Yarra Glen Football Club to commemorate James Wandin's 55 years contribution to the sport as a player and coach at local level and at Apollo Bay. The inaugural match in May 2008, won by Yarra Glen Football Club, was used to raise funds to erect a memorial at James Wandin’s grave and for a perpetual trophy.
Ngurungaeta
Ngurungaeta is a Wurundjeri word meaning 'head man' or 'tribal leader'. Ngurungaeta held the same tribal standing as an Arweet of the Bunurong and Wathaurong people...
of the Wurundjeri
Wurundjeri
The Wurundjeri are a people of the Indigenous Australian nation of the Woiwurrung language group, in the Kulin alliance, who occupy the Birrarung Valley, its tributaries and the present location of Melbourne, Australia...
till his death in February 2006. He was the first Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er of Aboriginal descent to play with St Kilda Football Club in 1952–1953.
Family
James Wandin was a great-great nephew to William BarakWilliam Barak
William Barak , was the last traditional ngurungaeta of the Wurundjeri-willam clan, based around the area of present-day Melbourne, Australia...
, the last traditional ngurungaeta of the Wurundjeri-willam clan. He was the last person born at Coranderrk
Coranderrk
Coranderrk was an Indigenous Australian mission station set up in 1863 to provide land under the policy of concentration, for Aboriginal people who had been dispossessed by the arrival of Europeans to the state of Victoria 30 years prior. The mission was formally closed in 1924 with most residents...
Station, in 1933, in the home of his grandmother, Jemima Wandin. When the Station was closed in 1923 Jemima Wandin was one of 5 elderly people who refused to leave. She is buried in the Coranderrk Cemetery. His father, Jarlo Wandoon, tried to enlist for World War I, but was rejected due to being an Aboriginal. When he attempted to enlist under his whitefella name, James Wandin, he was accepted into the army and served in France and is listed under that name on the honour roll in the Healesville RSL. On returning home Jarlo Wandoon had to get permission from the police to visit his mother, was escorted onto Coranderrk, and was only allowed half an hour with her before he was sent to off to the Lake Tyers mission in Gippsland. Much of Coranderrk was divided up and sold for soldier settlement allotments. Jarlo found work with the Postmaster-General's Department
Postmaster-General's Department
The Postmaster-General's Department was created at Federation in 1901 to control all postal services within Australia. Its minister was the Postmaster-General. In mid-1975 it was disaggregated into the Australian Telecommunications Commission and the Australian Postal Commission...
, and was able to buy a block of land at Healesville
Healesville, Victoria
Healesville is a town in Victoria, Australia, 52 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges...
– a home for his family on Wurundjeri land.
Football
One of ten children, James left school at 15 in 1949 and played Australian rules footballAustralian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
with the Healesville seconds. The team won the premiership and James Wandin was awarded the Best and Fairest. He moved on to play with the seniors who won a premiership in 1951. He joined St Kilda Football Club in 1952, after a period of training with them at Junction Oval. He was the first Aboriginal footballer with St Kilda, playing centre half forward. Other Aboriginal players in the VFL at the time were Essendon's Norm McDonald
Norm McDonald
Norm McDonald was an Australian rules footballer of Aboriginal heritage.He played in the Essendon premiership teams in 1949 and 1950. He won the Essendon Best and Fairest award in 1951.-External links:* -References:*...
, Melbourne's Eddie Jackson. He left St Kilda Football Club after just 17 games due to "homesickness" and what he later reflected as a lack of support.
In 2003 Wandin reflected on the racist taunts he faced during games in a report in The Age newspaper: "Opposition players would call you niggers and all that, the whole lot, Kooris and whatever week in, week out. Pretty rash things said, I can tell you. You had to just deal with it yourself, nothing like what Michael Long's got now going. You dealt with it, you just got on with the game."
He was called up for National Service in 1952.
After leaving St Kilda Football Club he took up a position of player coach in 1954 with the Healesville seniors and coached until 1961. He joined the PMG Department and worked for 37 years, but continuing to coach football at Healesville and Apollo Bay.
Ngurungaeta
James Wandin held the position of NgurungaetaNgurungaeta
Ngurungaeta is a Wurundjeri word meaning 'head man' or 'tribal leader'. Ngurungaeta held the same tribal standing as an Arweet of the Bunurong and Wathaurong people...
in the Wurundjeri nation. He was also President of the Wurundjeri Tribe Land Compensation and Cultural Heritage Council
Wurundjeri Tribe Land Compensation and Cultural Heritage Council
The Wurundjeri Tribe Land and Compensation Cultural Heritage Council was established in 1985 by descendants of the Wurundjeri people who are the traditional owners of the country around Melbourne...
.
In 2000 James Wandin and Carolyn Briggs, representing the Wurundjeri and Boonerwurung
Bunurong
The Bunurong are Indigenous Australians of the Kulin nation, who occupy South-Central Victoria, Australia. Prior to European settlement, they lived as all people of the Kulin nation lived, sustainably on the land, predominantly as hunters and gatherers, for tens of thousands of years...
peoples of the Kulin
Kulin
The Kulin nation, was an alliance of five Indigenous Australian nations in Central Victoria, Australia, prior to European settlement. Their collective territory extended to around Port Phillip and Western Port, up into the Great Dividing Range and the Loddon and Goulburn River valleys. To their...
nation, gave historic welcome to country speeches at a sitting of the Victorian Parliament on 26 May 2000. Parliament Hill was noted in Wandin's speech as one of the Wurundjeri ceremonial corroboree
Corroboree
A corroboree is a ceremonial meeting of Australian Aborigines. The word was coined by the European settlers of Australia in imitation of the Aboriginal word caribberie. At a corroboree Aborigines interact with the Dreamtime through dance, music and costume. Many ceremonies act out events from the...
grounds.
He concluded his speech to parliament saying:
Death
While ill with cancer in February 2006 he prepared a statutory declaration declaring his nephew MurrundindiMurrundindi
Murrundindi is the ngurungaeta of the Wurundjeri people, a descendant of William Barak. He succeeded James Wandin in this position in February 2006....
his successor as Wurundjeri Ngurungaeta
Ngurungaeta
Ngurungaeta is a Wurundjeri word meaning 'head man' or 'tribal leader'. Ngurungaeta held the same tribal standing as an Arweet of the Bunurong and Wathaurong people...
. After his death his partner, Judy Freeman, symbolicly passed to Murrundindi a lil-lal, or hunting boomerang, and a sprig of pale yellow wattle. Several hundred people attended Healesville football oval to pay their respects to a respected Wurundjeri elder and great footballer. He was buried at Healesville Cemetery, in the shadow of Mount Riddell, as he requested.
The Annual best and fairest player award in division two of the Yarra Valley Mountain Football League is called the Wandin Medal. The James (Juby) Wandin Memorial Match has been established by Yarra Glen Football Club to commemorate James Wandin's 55 years contribution to the sport as a player and coach at local level and at Apollo Bay. The inaugural match in May 2008, won by Yarra Glen Football Club, was used to raise funds to erect a memorial at James Wandin’s grave and for a perpetual trophy.