Don Bradman

Lore & Background

Donald George Bradman was the youngest son of George and Emily Bradman, born in Cootamundra, New South Wales. He had a brother and three sisters. His mother bowled left-arm spin and played in women's intercolonial cricket in the 1890s. As a youth, Bradman practised batting with a cricket stump and a golf ball, hitting it against a curved brick water-tank stand to develop his timing and reactions. He hit his first century at age 12, scoring 115 not out for Bowral Public School.

Bradman's rise from bush cricket to the Australian Test team took just over two years. He made his first-class debut at age 19, scoring 118 on debut at the Adelaide Oval. Before his 22nd birthday, he had set many top-scoring records. During the Great Depression, he became Australia's sporting idol, a status that continued through the Second World War. A controversial set of tactics known as Bodyline was specially devised by England to curb his scoring.

After the war, Bradman captained the Australian team known as 'the Invincibles' on an unbeaten tour of England. He was committed to attacking, entertaining cricket and drew record spectators. He hated constant adulation, which affected his dealings with others, and some teammates and journalists found him aloof. Following retirement, he remained pre-eminent as an administrator, selector and writer for three decades.

Reader's Guide

Bradman's significance rests on his unparalleled batting average of 99.94 in Test cricket, a statistical outlier that has led many to regard him as the greatest sportsperson in history. His career coincided with the Great Depression and World War II, during which he became a national icon in Australia. The Bodyline tactics devised by England specifically to counter him underscore his dominance. As captain of the 'Invincibles', he led an unbeaten tour of England, cementing his legacy. After playing, he shaped Australian cricket as an administrator and selector for three decades. His reclusive later years did not diminish his status; in 1997, Prime Minister John Howard called him the 'greatest living Australian'. Bradman's image has appeared on postage stamps and coins, and a museum dedicated to his life opened while he was still living. On the centenary of his birth, the Royal Australian Mint issued a $5 commemorative gold coin with his image. In 2009, he was posthumously inducted as an inaugural member into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

Did You Know?

• Bradman's mother bowled left-arm spin and played in the women's intercolonial cricket competition in the 1890s.
• He invented a solo cricket game using a cricket stump for a bat and a golf ball, rebounding it off a curved brick water-tank stand.
• The Bodyline tactics were specially devised by the England team to curb his scoring.
• In 1997, Prime Minister John Howard called him the 'greatest living Australian'.