By NOEL MURPHY
THE time-honoured thwack of red leather on willow has resounded across Geelong sporting arenas forever.
Grand names of cricket have similarly resounded across Geelong – Cooper, Wills, Hassett, Sheahan and Redpath to name a few. Another rather famous one is about to do so as well, Bradman.
The Don, the greatest batsman the game’s seen, is chief subject of a special cricketing exhibition about to be showcased at Geelong’s National Wool Museum. So too are a variety of more local cricketing curios.
Caps and bats, trophies and photos, paintings, sketches, jackets, books, posters, tour programs, figurines, cards, recordings and more feature in the show, dubbed The Art of Bradman.
The boy from Bowral’s career, which kept a nation entranced through the Great Depression, through the Bodyline controversy and, ultimately, the 1948 Invincibles tour, was one in which Bradman’s star outshone some of the country’s best ever cricketers.
Cricket historian Kevin O’Dowd, who has lent various items to the showcase – and for whose book, Geelong’s Blazing Century, Bradman wrote the foreword — described the exhibition as “fabulous”.
“I had a caricature of him by artist Mike Mitton I was going to use but he said don’t because his ears were too pronounced,” O’Dowd says.
“He sent me a photo he preferred and said get your friend to draw that.”
A dedicated Bradmanophile, O’Dowd has lent a copy of his 1949 Wisden almanac, documenting the near-mythical Invincibles exploits of the previous year and autographed across several pages by The Don.
O’Dowd has brought local treasures such as Lindsay Hassett’s well-used childhood bat, a 1930 Geelong Cricket Association blazer and a small bat signed by Bradman to mark the 1996 centenary of Geelong cricket to the exhibition.
There are photos dating to 1862 of the All England XI beside the Black Bull Hotel on Malop Street – 15 years before the first Test match.
Mayor Darryn Lyons has extended items from his cricketing collection as well, among them a baggy green cap from Max Walker and a striking monochrome photo of the 1938 Australian team in Great Britain.
“We’re honoured to have this wonderful collection at the National Wool Museum and we can’t wait to share such beautiful pieces with the Geelong community,” Cr Lyons said.
“As a cricketer and passionate collector I have loaned items from my personal collection. A cricket bat signed by Australian cricketing greats including Don Bradman, Greg Chappell, Neil Harvey and Glen McGrath; a baggy green from Max ‘Tangles’ Walker; a silver gelatine framed photograph of the 1938 Australian Cricket Team in Great Britain still in its original mount including signatures from the entire team: captain Don Bradman and vice captain Stan McCabe.”
The wider exhibition features more than 50 original works by artist Brian Clinton. It will run from 1 December to 15 February. As they say in the classics, is Don, is good.
