Sir Donald Bradman
Sir Donald Bradman’s 102nd birthday was celebrated on Friday night with a tour of the soon to be completed International Cricket Hall of Fame at Bradman Oval, Bowral.
About 80 Bradman Foundation members attended the birthday celebrations in the hall of fame pavilion, which has recently reached the lock-up phase of construction.
Neil Harvey, who played under Sir Donald in the 1948 Invincibles (the first Test Match side to play an undefeated tour of England), attended the event as guest of honour and chatted on stage with cricket journalist Mike Coward about the famous tour.
Attendees were met in the courtyard before being led on a tour of the building by Bradman Foundation Chairman Michael Ball, Executive Director Rina Hore and architect Stephen Ryan.
They viewed projections and a short DVD from the Bradman archives, while their imaginations entered top gear as they were shown where the installations will be implemented in The International Cricket Hall of Fame.
“We are really excited to show people how far the construction has come and point out to them where all the visitor experience exhibits will go,” Ms Hore says.
Located at the heritage-listed Bradman Oval in Bowral, the $7 million hall of fame project is the brainchild of the Bradman Foundation and is expected to be a pilgrimage for cricket lovers the world over when it opens in November.
The International Cricket Hall of Fame captures cricket’s past whilst also exploring the future of the global game. Once completed, it will feature a wide range of state-of-the-art highly interactive displays, making it a unique and dynamic way to experience the science, history and great moments of cricket from around the world.
BRADMAN FOUNDATION UPCOMING EVENTS
Bradman Gala Dinner – 20 October
The Bradman Gala Dinner at the SCG on 20 October is the Bradman Foundation’s largest fundraiser and has developed into the largest sporting dinner in Australia with more than 800 attendees.
This year Barry Humphries will talk about his cricketing views, while international cricket greats Adam Gilchrist and Sunil Gavaskar will be recognised as Bradman Honourees.
West Indies Under 16s team – 21, 26 and 28 November
November will see the Bradman Foundation host the West Indies Under 16 team on it’s Australian tour where they will be fitting guests of honour at an official hall of fame luncheon with the Australian Under 16 team at Bradman Oval on 21 November. The two sides are also scheduled to play a one-day international match at Bradman Oval on 26 November and 28 November.
“Having both these youth teams at The International Cricket Hall of Fame fits perfectly with the Bradman values of youth promotion and inspiring young people to embrace the world game of cricket,” Ms Hore says.
Chance to Shine charity match – 9 January
Chance to Shine is the charity arm of England’s Marylebone Cricket Club, which aims to help children develop life skills through cricket. For the second year, The Bradman Foundation Cricket Team will welcome the new year with a match against the Chance to Shine team, with both squads calling in cricketing media personalities for support.
“Last time we played the match in England and we were caught short. This time, we’ll wait for them to announce their side first so that we can match them,” Ms Hore says.
Bradman Cricket Festival – 24-27 February
25 February will mark the 10-year anniversary of Sir Donald’s passing, which will be commemorated with four days of local celebrations in and around Bowral and Mittagong.
Sir Donald’s legacy will be kept alive with a fun run, cricket matches on Bradman Oval and live broadcasting of the Aussie World Cup match in India throughout The International Cricket Hall of Fame.
Tags: Bowral, Bradman Oval, Cricket, Sir Donald Bradman, The International Cricket Hall of Fame
