Mt Eliza Junior Football Club celebrates its cultural heritage

Incredible find: Aboriginal artefacts have been discovered at Mt Eliza’s Emil Madsen Reserve.

Mt Eliza Redlegs players wear the new indigenous clash jumper at Emil Madsen Reserve. Picture: Andrew Batsch

The discovery of Aboriginal artefacts hundreds of years old at Mt Eliza’s Emil Madsen Reserve has turned into a history lesson for members of Mt Eliza Junior Football Club.

In 2015, an Aboriginal archaeological assessment, backed by Mornington Peninsula Shire, was conducted at the reserve ahead of construction of new ovals.

Many artefacts were recovered, belonging to the Boonwurrung Balug clan, which lived on the land for tens of thousands of years.

Under 11 players at the ceremony. Picture: Andrew Batsch

Mt Eliza Junior Football Club, which is based at Madsen Reserve, used the discovery to educate its hundreds of young players about the area’s cultural heritage.

Local archaeologist Adam Magennis, of Kaptify Cultural Heritage Consultancy, helped ensure cultural heritage at the site was preserved.

“The Boonwurrung Balug, their settlement, as a community, they lived there for thousands of generations and they left a large archeological site in the Mt Eliza region,” Magennis said.

Redlegs official Kate Ross posted regular “did you know” write ups on the club’s Facebook page, with interesting facts.

Adam Magennis playing the didgeridoo during a traditional indigenous smoking ceremony at Madsen Reserve. Picture: Andrew Batsch

The reserve was a gathering place, with a nearby creek (Titchen Garook, meaning voice of the frog) and abundant food sources and wildlife.

Redlegs under-11s player Matt Archibald came up with an idea to recognise the club’s heritage by creating an indigenous clash jumper.

The design of the jumper tells the story of the discoveries made and also incorporates symbols that represent the club and its children.

The new jumper was revealed during a traditional indigenous smoking ceremony at Madsen Reserve last Sunday, prior to the Redlegs’ U11s game against Mornington.

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Mt Eliza JFC vice president Steve Baker said it’s been a wonderful process of education for the kids and also adults.

“People were fascinated,” he said.

“You can see from the photos from the ceremony that the kids from both clubs were just rapt to be involved. It was interesting and exciting for them and the parents enjoyed it.

“People weren’t expecting this to happen and they’ve learnt something and gone, ‘wow, how about that, right in our own backyard’.

“No one would have known that it was there.”