Faith Thomas facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 1933 Nepabunna, South Australia |
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| Died | (aged 90) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm fast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Only Test (cap 48) | 21 February 1958 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1956–1958 | South Australia Women's cricket team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive (subscription needed), 17 April 2023
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Faith Thomas (born Coulthard; 1933 – 15 April 2023) was an amazing Australian athlete. She was a talented cricketer and hockey player. Faith was also a dedicated nurse in regional South Australia.
She is famous for being the first Indigenous woman to play for Australia in any sport. Faith Thomas also gave great service to the Australian Indigenous community throughout her life.
Contents
Her Early Life
Faith Thomas was born in 1933 at the Nepabunna Aboriginal Mission in South Australia. Her mother, Ivy, was an Adnyamathanha woman. Her father was German.
When she was a baby, her mother took her to the Colebrook Home for Aboriginal Children. This home was in Quorn. Faith played cricket there with other children. They used stones as balls and made bats from wood they found.
Her Nursing Career
Faith Thomas finished her nursing training in 1954. She trained at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. She became South Australia's first Indigenous nurse to work as a public servant.
In 1958, Faith also completed midwifery training. She then worked at Raukkan. This place was known as Point McLeay Aboriginal Reserve back then. Later, Faith became a patrol nurse. She often lived out of her car while on call.
Her Cricket Journey
A friend at Royal Adelaide Hospital introduced Faith to cricket. She quickly became a star for her club team. In only her second game, she took a hat-trick!
After just three club games, she was chosen to play for the South Australia Women's cricket team. She played for her state team from 1956 to 1958.
Playing for Australia
In 1958, Faith was picked for the Australian national team. She played her only international match against England. This made her the first Aboriginal woman to play for Australia in any sport.
For a long time, she was the only Indigenous woman to play test cricket for Australia. This changed in 2019 when Ashleigh Gardner was selected. Faith was chosen to tour England and New Zealand after her first test match. But she decided not to go. She wanted to focus on her important nursing career instead.
Her Fast Bowling Style
Faith Thomas was known for her super fast bowling. She only needed a few steps for her run-up. She was famous for her speed and her skill at bowling the yorker. A yorker is a type of delivery that lands right at the batter's feet.
Her amazing fast bowling skills came from her childhood. She used to throw rocks at Galahs (a type of bird) when she was at Colebrook. Faith played her last club cricket game in the early 1960s. She was eight months pregnant at the time!
Honoring Her Legacy
The WBBL holds an annual game called the Faith Thomas match. It is played between the Adelaide Strikers and the Perth Scorchers. This game honors her achievements in both cricket and nursing. The team that wins the match receives the Faith Thomas Trophy.
Her Passing
Faith Thomas passed away on 15 April 2023. She was 90 years old.
