The Mullagh Wills Foundation has organised Journey to the G to celebrate the 1866 cricket match at the ground between Aborigines and European settlers.

The foundation is named after the Aboriginal team’s coach and captain Tom Wills, and its star all-rounder, Harrow’s Johnny Mullagh.

Foundation volunteer Ian Coutts said the group would create a message book and message stick that would start in West Wimmera Shire and make its way through other municipalities before arriving at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for this year’s Boxing Day Test.

The journey will kick off during Harrow’s Johnny Mullagh Memorial Championship Cricket Match at the weekend.

Mr Coutts said the first Boxing Day match was an almost-forgotten part of Australian history.

“Everyone talks about the team’s tour of England in 1868, but this is also a really significant event and something we wanted to celebrate,” he said.

“We want to start in Harrow because it’s the home of Johnny Mullagh – he was the star of the team.

“The championship committee was very happy to have us be part of its day.”

Mr Coutts said the anniversary event was a long time in the making.

“It’s not a re-enactment, but it will pay tribute to the Aboriginal team, because it was a long trek for them to get to Melbourne back then,” he said.

“It will involve descendants and land owners, people from the Mullagh Wills Foundation, and West Wimmera councillors.

“We also want to have sporting clubs, community groups and schools involved.

“The message book will be presented to West Wimmera Mayor Annette Jones and the council will keep it for three or four weeks.

“Then each municipality through to Melbourne will be invited to accept the book as it moves along, and include a message of reconciliation and recognition for the team that played on Boxing Day 150 years ago.

“The message book will finish at the MCG in time for this year’s Boxing Day test match.”

Mr Coutts said the foundation hoped Aboriginal elders in each municipality would formally accept the book and message stick.

He said the Mullagh Wills Foundation’s primary focus was reconciliation through sport.

“We think this milestone is something that deserves bigger recognition,” he said.

“The Melbourne Cricket Club has been fantastic and given us wonderful support. The book will stay at the club library and be on exhibition.

“We are also working with Cricket Victoria, and talking to Cricket Australia about how we celebrate the book making it to the MCG.

“We want to recognise what we believe is an incredible story and a remarkable part of our history.” Mr Coutts said the idea came about when he was an Australia Day ambassador at Edenhope and Harrow about five years ago.

“Tony Cavanagh was the ambassador who followed me in those towns, and he and I started talking about the idea,” she said.

“It’s exciting to see the idea come to fruition – it’s something we really want to celebrate.”

The Johnny Mullagh Memorial Championship Cricket Match and the Harrow National Bush Billycart Championship will run on Saturday and Sunday.