Garbutt Magpie Cup: Bringing community, culture and young people together
For over a decade, the Garbutt Magpies have been at the forefront of empowering Indigenous Australian youth, and fostering stronger connections between communities through the unifying power of sport and culture.
At the heart of their efforts is the Garbutt Magpie Cup, an annual event that brings children and families together from diverse cultural backgrounds, including Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Australian South Sea Islander, and non-Indigenous communities. It is a day to celebrate unity, identity, culture, sport, and storytelling.
More than a sporting event
While the Garbutt Magpie Cup features competitive AFL matches among primary school students, it is much more than just a sporting event.
It provides young people with an opportunity to:
- develop confidence and skills
- learn from strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander role models
- build connections through stories, camaraderie, and cultural activities.
The event promotes positive identity and reconciliation among participants and their communities.
Support for First Nations Sport and Recreation
The Garbutt Magpies Cup is more than a football competition, it's a living expression of community, mentorship and First Nations identity in Townsville, connecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth with Elders and role models through the sport their community has loved for over 70 years. The Queensland Government's First Nations Sport and Recreation Program funds exactly this kind of community-led sporting participation, recognising that sport is one of the most powerful pathways for keeping culture, connection and wellbeing strong.
Learn more about the Queensland Government’s arts, culture and heritage initiatives.
Honouring Elders and cultural knowledge
A true highlight of the event is the involvement of Elders, who play an integral role in sharing traditional knowledge and practices. They guide the younger generation in understanding their heritage.
Students from across Townsville, Bowen, Ayr, Palm Island, the Gulf, and the Torres Strait engage meaningfully with these respected cultural custodians—strengthening relationships and increasing pride in identity.
Celebrating culture and heritage
Held to coincide with National Aboriginal and Islander Children’s Day in August, the Garbutt Magpie Cup honours the importance of preserving and celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage.
By weaving sport, storytelling, and cultural exchange together, the Cup offers:
- a day of activity
- a powerful opportunity to foster understanding
- greater unity across communities.
A lasting impact
This event reflects the enduring importance of culture and community and celebrates the impact of collective strength in shaping a brighter future for the next generation.
It reminds us of the vital role traditions play in empowering young people to embrace their identity and build connections that last well beyond the field.
Through initiatives like the Garbutt Magpies Cup, communities continue to invest in young people as future leaders grounded in reconciliation, culture, connection, and pride.
Days of significance
The Garbutt Magpies Cup is deliberately held to coincide with National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day on 4 August, a day the Queensland Government recognises as an opportunity for all Queenslanders to celebrate the culture, strength and history of First Nations children and their communities.
Indigenous artwork shirt design
Each year all participants in the Garbutt Magpies Cup receive a shirt to wear on the day. These shirts feature Indigenous artwork, and last year the committee decided to provide a local Indigenous artist with the opportunity to collaborate with the students who won the 2025 Cup to create artwork for the 2026 shirts. Zina-Rose James, a candidate in the Queensland Government’s Youth Employment Program was the successful artist.
The 2026 Garbutt Magpies Cup jersey is the result of a powerful collaboration between the artist, Zina-Rose James, and students from St Michael’s Catholic School (Palm Island), Bwgcolman Community School (Palm Island), and St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School. These schools, as the 2025 winning teams, have wonderfully showcased their creativity and storytelling through this design.
The design is divided into two themes.
- Legacy
Honouring our ancestors and their connection to country, the artwork features bushtucker branches, honey ants, emu footprints, meeting circles, and waterholes. A standout element is a hunting figure surrounded by ancestral spirits, symbolising guidance from the past. - Vision
Reflecting the students' aspirations for reconciliation and unity, the design includes footprints representing everyone walking together, a star symbolising hope, a waterhole connecting people, and a turtle to celebrate the growing connection with Torres Strait Islander culture.
This jersey is a celebration of culture, connection, and the shared journey towards a brighter future.