Faith Thomas

Faith Thomas AM (née Coulthard; 22 February 1933 – 15 April 2023), born Tinnipha,[1] was an Australian cricketer and hockey player.[2] She was also a nurse in regional South Australia. Thomas is known for being the first Indigenous woman to represent Australia in any sport as well as her distinguished service to the Australian Indigenous community.

For the American screenwriter, see Faith Thomas (screenwriter).

Faith Thomas

AM
Personal information
Born(1933-02-22)22 February 1933
Nepabunna, South Australia
Died15 April 2023(2023-04-15) (aged 90)
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast
RoleBowler
International information
National side
Only Test (cap 48)21 February 1958 v England
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1956–1958South Australia Women's cricket team
Career statistics
Competition WTest WFC
Matches 1 7
Runs scored 3 106
Batting average 3.00 13.25
100s/50s 0/0 0/0
Top score 3 38
Balls bowled 36 148
Wickets 0 9
Bowling average – 23.11
5 wickets in innings – 0
10 wickets in match – 0
Best bowling – 4/79
Catches/stumpings 1/– 1/0
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 17 April 2023

Early life

Thomas was born at the Nepabunna Aboriginal Mission in South Australia. Her mother, Ivy, was an Adnyamathanha woman and her father was German.[3] Her mother would take her to the Colebrook Home for Aboriginal Children in Quorn when she was a baby.[4][5] She would play cricket with other children at Colebrook using stones as balls, and making bats from wood they found.[3]

Nursing career

Thomas completed her nursing training at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, graduating in 1954.[6] She was South Australia's first Indigenous nurse to be employed as a public servant.[7][8] Thomas undertook midwifery training in Adelaide at Queen Victoria Hospital in Adelaide and in 1958 was employed to work at Raukkan (known then as Point McLeay Aboriginal Reserve).[7] Thomas later went on to become a patrol nurse, spending much time living out of her car while on call.[9]

Cricket career

After being introduced to cricket by a colleague at Royal Adelaide Hospital, Thomas made an immediate impact for her club side, taking a hat-trick in her second game. She was selected to play for the South Australia Women's cricket team after only three club games.[10] She played for her state side between 1956 and 1958.

In 1958 she was selected for the Australian national team.[11] She played her only international match against England.[4][12][13] She was the first Aboriginal woman to be selected to represent Australia in sport, and until 2019 (following the selection of Ashleigh Gardner[14]) was the only Indigenous woman to play test cricket for Australia.[15][16] Thomas was selected in the squad to tour England and New Zealand after her test debut, but turned down the opportunity to focus on her nursing career.[17]

Thomas was known for her fast bowling off a run-up of just a few steps.[18] She was renowned for her pace and skill of bowling the yorker.[19] Thomas's skill as a fast bowler came from her time in Colebrook where she would throw rocks at galahs.[20] Thomas played her final club cricket game in the early 1960s. She was eight months pregnant at the time.[17]

The WBBL plays an annual Faith Thomas match between the Adelaide Strikers and the Perth Scorchers to honour her achievements in both cricket and nursing. The winner of the match is presented with the Faith Thomas Trophy.[21]

Death

Thomas died on 15 April 2023, at the age of 90.[1][22][23]

References
  1. Fontaine, Angus (17 April 2023). "Cricket mourns Aunty Faith Thomas, first Indigenous woman to play Test for Australia". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  2. "Vale Aunty Faith Thomas". Cricket SA. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  3. "5 Indigenous women who didn't get the credit". NITV. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  4. "message stick – Faith Thomas". ABC TV (Australia). Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  5. Thomas, Faith (1990), From the shoulder, archived from the original on 17 April 2023, retrieved 9 November 2016
  6. "Faith Thomas". More Than Our Childhoods. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  7. Centre, The University of Melbourne eScholarship Research. "Thomas, Faith – Biographical entry – Encyclopedia of Australian Science". www.eoas.info. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  8. Jackson, Russell (22 December 2016). "Aboriginal cricket pioneer Faith Thomas: 'I'm still the fastest woman bowler ever'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 19 April 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  9. Monga, Sidharth (25 October 2019). "Faith Thomas is the Aussie legend you haven't heard of". The Cricket Monthly. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  10. Jolly, Laura (1 February 2020). "Keeping the Faith: How Thomas's legacy is living on". Cricket.com.au. Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  11. "Aborigines meet over sport grants". The Canberra Times. Vol. 45, no. 12, 675. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 5 December 1970. p. 38. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. "Faith Coulthard". CricketArchive. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  13. Whimpress, Bernard (1992), Few and far between : prejudice and discrimination among Aborigines in Australian first class cricket 1869–1988, archived from the original on 17 April 2023, retrieved 9 November 2016
  14. Jolly, Laura (18 July 2019). "Aussie trio to make their Test cricket debut in Taunton". cricket.com.au. Cricket Australia. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  15. Booth, Andrea; Briscoe, Luke. "20 inspiring black women who have changed Australia". NITV. Archived from the original on 12 June 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  16. "History in the making: a fast bowler with raw pace and wicket-taking ability". National Indigenous Times. 25 September 2018. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  17. Jolly, Laura (1 February 2020). "Keeping the Faith: How Thomas's legacy is living on". Cricket.com.au. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  18. Davies, Will (22 December 2017). "10 legendary Aboriginal cricketers who bowled us over". SBS. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  19. "Faith Thomas and Mike Whitney handed Queen's Birthday Honours". ESPNcricinfo. 10 July 2019. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  20. "A Test star who chose nursing over cricket". 9 November 2020. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  21. "STRIKERS AND SCORCHERS SET TO MEET FOR FAITH THOMAS TROPHY". Adelaide Strikers. 12 November 2021. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  22. "Faith Thomas, the first Indigenous woman to play cricket for Australia, dies aged 90". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  23. Savage, Nick (17 April 2023). "'True powerhouse': Australian sporting pioneer Faith Thomas passes away aged 90". foxsports.com.au. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.

Further reading
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