Eddie Gilbert was a professional cricketer belonging to the Kanju people from Cooktown, Queensland. When he was very young, he was taken from his parents by the authorities and sent to Barambah Reserve, later known as Cherbourg, Queensland. Gilbert was coached by the schoolmaster while playing for the Barambah Aboriginal Cricket Club and became known throughout the area as a skilled fast bowler. In 1930, Gilbert was chosen to be part of the Queensland Sheffield Shield team, which required special consent from the Chief Protector of Aborigines to allow him the freedom to leave the reserve. Eddie Gilbert grew in fame as he bowled out some of the best batsmen in Australia. Donald Bradman said that Eddie Gilbert's bowling was the fastest he had faced. His bowling had the force to knock the bat out of Bradman's hands. Gilbert's sporting success failed to gain him equal rights, and he was sent back to Barambah Reserve after his career ended in 1936. 'It's alright to be a hero on the field, but a black man can be lonely when he is not accepted after the game,' Eddie Gilbert said in the 1930s.
