A Short Biography of Quilp, Part One

Quilp, later known as Jacky Lynch or John Lynch, was Australia’s earliest known Aboriginal soccer player, goal-scorer and referee. His earliest documented game was for Ipswich-based Reliance FC in 1904, a club formed from Dinmore Bush Rats’ junior (lower league) squad. Later he won the 1910 Brisbane Junior Challenge Cup with Bush Rats.

Quilp’s career may have started much earlier. He was first seen in the company of Dinmore footballers as early as 1894, most notably attended a Bush Rats club concert in 1899. There are no records showing Quilp played football in this period, with the local newspaper underreporting the junior competition in favour of the senior and Brisbane competitions. Like many of the junior players of the period, his career may have been obscured.

Quilp was variously reported to have been born in the Gulf County or the Warrego region around 1870. It was known he grew up and worked from a young age in the household of grazier John Ashburn, who had properties Hoganthulla in the Warrego and Evora in the Blackall/Barcaldine region. The main stock route from the Gulf Country ran through the Barcaldine region, while Ashburn had in-laws in the Gulf. It is unknown how Quilp came into Ashburn’s household, or whether other members of his mob worked and lived with Ashburn.  

Ashburn moved to Ipswich in the 1880s and eventually built a house named Ashdale at the junction of the Bremer and Brisbane Rivers. Ashburn’s properly is now a Salvation Army farm. Ashburn became a butcher and hosted annual sports days on his property for the local butchers and their workers. Quilp would live at Ashdale until 1897.

The Bremer and Brisbane Rivers flooded in 1893. Ashburn evacuated with his family and servants to the property of William Lynch in Dinmore. Also in attendance were David Nunn and his family, who also had property on the Bremer River. Lynch was inaugural principal of the Dinmore State School, as well as president of the Dinmore football club. Dinmore FC played their games at Nunn’s paddock. It is possible Quilp was among those evacuated and met Dinmore footballers as a result.

Quilp first appears in the newspaper in 1894, when the Protestant Alliance Friendly Society of Australia held a sports day at The Junction, a large recreation reserve on the opposite bank to Ashburn’s property. Among the sports were a sack race which featuring Quilp against local footballers J. Jeffrey, R. Campbell and Matthew Bognuda, all associated with either Bush Rats or Dinmore FC. During the same sports day a football game was held between the Pride of Dinmore Lodge, featuring members of the Bush Rats, and the remaining Bush Rats.

The recent discovery of the sack race is important, as it shows Quilp held that name while living with Ashburn.  Quilp’s next newspaper appearance would not be until 1897, after he left Ashburn’s residence.

Ashburn died in 1895, and in 1897 the family sold Ashdale to the Salvation Army. Quilp is said to have left the property when it was sold. It was only after this point Quilp was next seen in newspaper print, appearing in court on the charge of being drunk. Such arrests would be a semi-regular occurrence until the end of Quilp’s life, and mostly resulted in fines. During the 1890s and 1900s the police were more concerned with arresting those who supplied the alcohol to Aboriginal people.

Between 1897 and 1900, Quilp was regularly mentioned as a member of the Dinmore competitive quoits team alongside member of the Bush Rats football team. In 1899 he is mentioned as attending a function for the Bush Rats in which he won a hornpipe contest. It is unknown whether Quilp was playing for Bush Rats at this point.

Quilp soon worked for the potteries, rising to the level of foreman. It is unknown which pottery he worked for, but it is strongly suspected to be Reliance. Reliance Pottery’s co-owners were one-time sack-race competitor Matthew Bognuda, who was vice-president of the Bush Rats in 1899 and fellow Bush Rats alumni A. Hudson. The duo formed their own senior football team called Reliance FC in 1900, which, it was stated, included members of Bush Rats junior team. It was at Reliance Quilp is first seen playing football in 1904. In a confusing newspaper report Quilp is stated to have been sent off, and then scoring the only goal of the game, the earliest known by an Aboriginal player. The result of his send-off was a suspension by the association for the remainder of the season.

Quilp was next seen playing in 1908, stepping up to Bush Rats senior grade to fill in, and not again until mentioned as receiving a medal for the 1910 junior premiership title. A well-known photo exists of the 1910 junior premiership winning team features Quilp in the centre, surrounded by white faces.

Quilp was semi-regularly seen in the newspapers in the first decade of the 1900s. He is seen in the company of Bush Rats players playing up at a wedding reception, and in an altercation on a train. He boxes. At no stage is he mentioned in the company of other Aboriginal people.

This would change in 1911 when he was removed from Dinmore to Barambah Mission in modern day Cherbourg. It is unknown whether his removal was in connection to his most recent arrest for drunkeness in December the previous year, or his working conditions. Under laws enacted in 1899, unemployed Aboriginal people could be removed to the missions. In late 1910 Quilp was working at the St Helen’s Brick and Tile company recently started by a Mr Doyle. This company folded in 1911, which may have led to Quilp’s unemployment and removal.

What happened next can be found in State Government records. 

The Dinmore population tried to prevent the removal. A petition was sent to the Chief Protector of Aboriginals from the local community to block the move. It was ignored. A travel permit was sought by the Booval police to allow Quilp to move to Clermont to take up employment. It is suspected the job was provided by former Bush Rat William Jeffrey who ran the the Blair Athol mine just outside Clermont. This permit was also rejected.

Quilp’s time at Barambah itself is largely unknown except for two key instances. Firstly, he was selected to appear as an exhibit in the 1912 Brisbane Exhibition (Ekka). The Ekka had a display of Aboriginal labour, both works and the workers themselves. It was largely an advertisement for the hiring out of those in the mission, for which the government was paid. Quilp’s name appears on the transfer papers to head to the Ekka.

Later in 1912 Quilp was hired out to Stradbroke Island to clear land. After this period of employment, the Chief Protector asked where Quilp had gone, to which he discovered Quilp had been allowed to return to Dinmore to work. The Chief Protector asked for Quilp to be handed over, the last time known contemporary documents mention the name Quilp by that name until 1929.

It is unknown what happened, but it seems Quilp took on the run, over the border to NSW and away from the draconian laws governing his life. And with his new life came a new name: John “Jacky” Lynch.