Maitland Citizen of the Year and Aboriginal elder Lance Murray has compiled a display of Aboriginal items for NAIDOC Week which celebrates the history, culture and achievements of indigenous people.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The display includes stone tools, throwing sticks and books as well as a tribute to boxer David Sands.
“He was a very well respected man in the community,” Mr Murray said.
“I saw him at an exhibition in Maitland once [and] being NAIDOC Week I thought it would be nice to pay tribute to him.”
Sands was known across the Lower Hunter in the 1940s and early ‘50s as a quiet, talented boxer who took on the world.
Born in Kempsey he travelled to Newcastle in 1939 and lived at Stockton.
He adopted the ring-name of Ritchie Sands, after ‘Snowy’ Sands, a railway guard and boxing fan.
An English promoter took Sands to London in 1949 and among Mr Murray’s display is a copy of an autographed photo taken during that tour.
Biographer Richard Broome wrote that despite an enthusiastic reception in the British press, Sands’ world title bid began disastrously.
While suffering from a swollen, recently vaccinated arm, he was outpointed by Tommy Yarosz.
He only won the next fight narrowly and was whisked away to Newcastle upon Tyne to gradually rebuild his confidence.
Sands returned to London that July and thrashed the much fancied Robert Villemain in the fight of the year.
In September he demolished Dick Turpin in 2 minutes 35 seconds for the British Empire middleweight title.
In October he won two bouts in the US but a falling out with his promoter stopped him from challenging for the world title.
Only three years later Sands was killed in a crash near Dungog when his truck’s steering wheel crushed him.
His death made the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald and he was buried at Sandgate cemetery.
The photograph is part of a general display of Aboriginal pieces at East Maitland and includes books illustrated by Mr Murray’s cousin, celebrated artist Bronwyn Bancroft.
NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee.
This committee was once responsible for organising national activities during NAIDOC Week.
Now its acronym has become the recognised name of the week, which runs this year from July 6 to 13.