Harrow · Wimmera · Victoria

Where Australia's first cricket team began.

In 1868, a team of Aboriginal stockmen from this corner of the Wimmera sailed to the other side of the world — the first Australian side ever to tour England. This is where their story is kept.

Discover the story Plan your visit

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Wed–Sun · 11am–4pmOpen five days a week

Free · by donationEveryone welcome

Harrow, Victoria~1 hr from Horsham & Hamilton

4.9 ★ · #1 in Harrow"A little gem of history"

Unaarrimin · Johnny Mullagh

One small town. A story that crossed the world.

Long before Test cricket, a team from Harrow did something no Australian side had done before them — they took the game to England.

They were stockmen and shearers from the stations of south-west Victoria — gifted cricketers who trained on a paddock pitch and played with a skill that drew crowds wherever they went. Led on the field by Unaarrimin, known to the crowds as Johnny Mullagh, they became the first Australian cricket team to tour England, in 1868.

Over a gruelling English summer they played 47 matches, travelling town to town, winning admirers with their batting, bowling and athleticism. It is a story of extraordinary talent, endurance and human achievement — and it started here, in Harrow.

Today the Discovery Centre keeps that story alive: the names, the photographs, the artefacts, and the living legacy that still runs through Australian cricket more than 150 years on.

Explore the collection

Johnny Mullagh, 1868Portrait & archival photography — placeholder

Where the team came from

A team drawn from across this Country.

The 1868 players were gathered from communities and stations across the Western District — and famously trained near Edenhope. We honour those places and their people as part of the one story kept here in Harrow. Read the story →

The 1868 voyage

From a Wimmera paddock to the fields of England

The sea voyage these men made — more than 21,000 kilometres and long months at sea, around the Cape of Good Hope — to carry the game to the far side of the world, and home again.

For everyone

You don't need to love cricket.

At its heart this is a human story — of skill, courage and a journey few would have dared. Visitors tell us they arrive curious and leave moved.

Read the story →

For the cricket lover

A pilgrimage worth the drive.

One of the largest private Don Bradman collections in the world, a Shane Warne baggy, and the living legacy of the Mullagh Medal, awarded each Boxing Day Test.

See the collection →

Boat-room immersive recreation — photography placeholder

Step aboard

Stand inside the journey.

Our boat room recreates the experience of the long voyage to England — the close quarters, the swell, the months at sea that the team endured to play the game they loved. It is the moment visitors remember most.

An experience for all ages — and the heart of the Centre.

History & Collections

More than you'd ever expect to find in Harrow.

Permanent exhibits, a world-class cricket collection, and rotating community art — there's always a reason to return.

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The 1868 First XI

The men, the matches and the memorabilia of the team that started it all.

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The Bradman Collection

One of the largest privately held collections of Sir Donald Bradman in the world.

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Rotating art exhibitions

Photography, painting and handcraft from the region — new shows through the year.

Our patrons

Champions of the story.

From the men of 1868 to the players who carry their legacy today, the Centre is championed by people who believe this story deserves to be known.

“[Patron endorsement — placeholder quote to come.]”

Scott BolandPatron (proposed) · Australian Test cricketer

Become a Patron of the Harrow Discovery Centre — find out how →

After dark

The Harrow Sound & Light Show

An after-hours experience that brings the town's history to life under the night sky. A standout for groups, clubs and travellers — bookable in advance.

Book the Sound & Light Show

What's on

There's always a reason to come now.

Exhibitions change through the year and the calendar fills with events — so no two visits are ever quite the same. Here's what's on.

On now

Rotating art exhibition

The current community show — photography, painting and handcraft from across the region. Here for a season, then gone.

While it's here

Select nights

Sound & Light Show

The after-dark experience that brings the town's history to life. Limited dates — book ahead and stay the night.

Book to stay over

Annual · dates to confirm

Johnny Mullagh Championship Weekend

The town's signature weekend of cricket and community. Beds fill fast — plan early.

Make a weekend of it

Plan your visit

Everything you need to know.

Opening hoursWednesday to Sunday, 11am – 4pm. Closed Monday & Tuesday. Allow 1–2 hours.

AdmissionFree entry, by donation. Your support keeps the Centre open and the story told.

Getting hereHarrow, Victoria — about an hour from Horsham, Hamilton or Naracoorte. Free parking.

AccessibilityWheelchair accessible throughout. Friendly, knowledgeable volunteers on hand.

Groups & coach toursWelcome by appointment — please call the Centre ahead to arrange your group or coach visit: (03) 5588 1387.

Contact(03) 5588 1387 · Harrow, VIC 3317

Interactive map — Harrow Discovery Centre (placeholder)

Stay the night

Rooms at the Harrow Hermitage Hotel

Make a weekend of it. The Hermitage — licensed since 1853 — offers characterful period rooms on the banks of the Glenelg River, with a hearty pub meal and a cold drink, a short walk from the Centre. Powered caravan & camping sites are also close by.

★Show & stay — book the Sound & Light Show, then it's a short walk to a warm bed at the Hermitage. The easiest way to make the trip worth it.

Plan an overnight stay →

While you're here

Things to do in Harrow & around

One of Victoria's oldest inland towns, in beautiful Wimmera country — heritage streetscapes, river walks and the wider Grampians region on your doorstep.

Explore the area →

★★★★★

Rated #1 thing to do in Harrow.

"What a pleasure this place is. We came for half an hour and stayed half the day."

Visitor review

"A little gem of history — and I don't even follow cricket. Absolutely worth the drive."

Visitor review

"Staff were friendly, informative and so passionate about the town. A real hidden gem."

Visitor review

The shop

Take the story home.

Can't get here just yet? Take a piece of it with you — including Cricket Walkabout, the book that first told the story of the 1868 team. Every purchase helps keep the Centre open.

Visit the shop →

Stay close to the story

Be the first to know what's on.

New exhibitions, event dates and Show nights — straight to your inbox, so you never miss a reason to visit.

About the Centre

Kept alive by the people of Harrow.

The Discovery Centre is run by its community — the volunteers and the Harrow Historical Society who have kept this story safe for generations, and who welcome every visitor as their own.

It's a registered not-for-profit. Every ticket, every purchase and every gift goes straight back into keeping the doors open and the collection cared for.

Registered charity · ACNC Johnny Mullagh Interpretive Centre Inc Run by local volunteers

The people of HarrowVolunteers & Historical Society — photography placeholder

Keep it in Harrow

Help keep the story alive.

The Discovery Centre is a not-for-profit, run with the heart of its community. There are many ways to be part of it.

DonateEvery gift helps keep the doors open and the collection cared for.

Become a FriendJoin the people who keep Harrow's history thriving.

VolunteerShare your time and welcome visitors from across the world.

Get in touch