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Thomas Wentworth Wills Print Page 
The tombstone on the grave commemorates Thomas Wills, the founder of Australian Rules football. The grave site was restored and the headstone erected over his grave by the Melbourne Cricket Club on the centenary of his death.
Thomas Wentworth Wills (1835 – 1880) was a sportsman who is credited with being Australia's first cricketer of significance and a founder of Australian rules football.
Wills was a survivor of the massacre by Aborigines which destroyed his family at Cullin-La-Ringo in Queensland. In 1864-5 he captained a Victorian cricket team against a visiting English team, and in 1866-7 he coached the Aboriginal cricket team which he took to England in 1868. In endeavouring to keep cricketers active during the off-season, Wills made the first public declaration of its kind in Australia: that football should be a regular and organised activity. Around this time he helped to foster football in Melbourne's schools.
Wills, who became an incurable alcoholic, stabbed himself to death in 1880.
Location
| Address: | Upper Heidelberg Road & Brown Street, Warringal Cemetery, Church of England section, Heidelberg , 3084 |
|---|---|
| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -37.751464 Long: 145.057469 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Grave |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Sport |
| Link: | http://adb.anu.edu.au/ |
Dedication
| Approx. Monument Dedication Date: | 1980 |
|---|
Thomas Wentworth Wills.
Born 19th August 1835.
Died 2nd May 1880
Founder of Australian Football and champion cricketer of his time
Erected by public subscription
Sponsored by the Melbourne Cricket Club
