Joseph Andrew Johnson (19 January 1883 23 April 1934) was an

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

er who played for the

Fitzroy Football Club The Fitzroy Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA). Formed in 1883 to represent the inner-Melbourne municipality of City of Fitzroy, Fitzroy, the club is base ...

in the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia operated by the Australian Football League (AFL) as a second-tier, regional, semi-professional competition. It includes teams from clubs based in east ...

(VFL). He is recognised as the first ever

Indigenous Australian Indigenous Australians are people with familial heritage from, or recognised membership of, the various ethnic groups living within the territory of contemporary Australia prior to History of Australia (1788–1850), British colonisation. The ...

to play in the VFL.

Early life

Joseph Andrew Johnson was born near

Newcastle, New South Wales Newcastle, also commonly referred to as Greater Newcastle ( ; ), is a large Metropolitan area, metropolitan area and the second-most-populous such area of New South Wales, Australia. It includes the cities of City of Newcastle, Newcastle and Ci ...

on 19 January 1883,Fiddian, p. 82. the son of

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

-born Andrew Johnson (1840–1891) and Eliza Catherine Louisa Johnson (1843–1909) (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Gordon).

Football career

Fitzroy

Johnson was recruited from

Victorian Football Association The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia operated by the Australian Football League (AFL) as a second-tier, regional, semi-professional competition. It includes teams from clubs based in east ...

(VFA) side Northcote and made his senior debut for Fitzroy against in the opening round of the

1904 VFL season The 1904 VFL season was the eighth season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest-level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured eight clubs and ran from 7 May to 17 September, comprising a 17-ro ...

. Initially playing as a half-back flanker, Johnson played in back-to-back premiership teams in

1904 Events January * January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''. * January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system. * ...

and

1905 As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia (Shostakovich's 11th Symphony i ...

Brunswick

In 1907, Johnson left Fitzroy for VFA side Brunswick as playing coach, playing in their inaugural premiership in 1909.

Northcote

In 1912, Johnson returned to Northcote as playing coach until 1914.Moncrieff, D. "Thank You Joe Johnson", ''Aboriginal Football'', 16 August 2005.
Retrieved 10 September 2009

Military service

Johnson enlisted in the

First Australian Imperial Force The First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) was the main Expeditionary warfare, expeditionary force of the Australian Army during the First World War. It was formed as the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) following United Kingdom of Great Bri ...

(AIF) on 10 February 1916. He was

court-martialled A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the mili ...

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

on 1 August 1916, charged with "striking his superior officer", found guilty, and sentenced to "six calendar months imprisonment with hard labor ic his incarceration, which commenced on 16 August 1916, was suspended on 15 September 1916. Johnson then served with the AIF in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

from November 1916, was transferred to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

for treatment for "acute

nephritis Nephritis is inflammation of the kidneys and may involve the glomeruli, tubules, or interstitial tissue surrounding the glomeruli and tubules. It is one of several different types of nephropathy. Types * Glomerulonephritis is inflammation ...

" in February 1917, was repatriated to Australia in July 1917, and was discharged from the AIF on 18 October 1917 on medical grounds.

Personal life

Johnson married Nora Campion Naismith (1890–1954) in North Carlton on 3 August 1912. Johnson's son Percy Johnson, grandson Percy Cummings, and great-grandsons

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

and Trent Cummings also played VFL/AFL football.

Death

Johnson died suddenly on 23 April 1934, and his funeral was held the next day in Carlton.

Legacy

Johnson has been lauded for his role in being the first known Aboriginal footballer in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

, "leading the way" for other Aboriginal players to star in football.Gordon, M. "The PM, footy and symbolic reconciliation", ''The Age'', 2 August 2005.
Retrieved 10 September 2009

Notes

References

World War One Embarkation Roll: Private Joseph Andrew Johnson (1663), collection of the ''Australian War Museum''.

World War One Nominal Roll: Private Joseph Andrew Johnson (1663), collection of the ''Australian War Museum''.

Private Joseph Andrew Johnson (1663), ''The AIF Project''.

World War One Service Record: Private Joseph Andrew Johnson (1663), ''National Archives of Australia''.
* Fiddian, M. (2016) ''The VFA: A History of the Victorian Football Association 1877–1995'', Melbourne Sports Books: Melbourne. * Lambley, Desmond Bruce, ''March in the Guilty Bastard'', Zeus Publications, (Burleigh, Qld), 2012.

External links

* *
Joe Johnson, at ''The VFA Project''.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Joe 1883 births 1934 deaths Indigenous Australian players of Australian rules football Australian rules footballers from New South Wales Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Australian Rules footballers: place kick exponents Fitzroy Football Club players Fitzroy Football Club premiership players Brunswick Football Club players Brunswick Football Club coaches Northcote Football Club players Northcote Football Club coaches VFL/AFL premiership players