What’s happening?
The National Museum of Australia in Canberra has acquired a baggy green cap once worn by Sir Donald Bradman. The cap was used during the 1946–47 Ashes series and purchased for $438,550. Half of the funding came from the Australian Government’s National Cultural Heritage Account.
This rare cap is one of just 11 known Bradman baggy greens still in existence.
Why it matters
Bradman is remembered as the world’s greatest batsman, with an unbeaten average of 99.94 runs in Test matches. The 1946–47 Ashes carried additional importance as the first Test series between Australia and England after the Second World War.
In a time when cricket had been overshadowed by the war, Bradman’s captaincy provided Australians with both hope and pride. The series also marked the beginning of Australia’s post-war cricketing dominance.
Local impact
The cap will be housed in the Museum’s National Historical Collection and displayed in the Landmarks gallery. Visitors will have the opportunity to see the cap alongside other remarkable sporting artefacts.
By the numbers
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$438,550 was paid to acquire the cap.
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Half the amount came from the National Cultural Heritage Account.
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11 Bradman baggy greens remain in existence today.
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Bradman’s Test career batting average was 99.94.
Zoom in
Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke MP, said, “Now to have one of his iconic baggy greens in the National Museum of Australia means visitors will have the opportunity to get up close and connect with our sporting and cultural history.”
Museum director Katherine McMahon described the cap as a reflection of resilience: “Sir Donald’s baggy green marks the life of Australia’s most celebrated batsman and reflects a time when sporting heroes gave Australians hope, following the heartbreak and hardship of the Second World War.”
Zoom out
The Museum also holds other significant Bradman items, including an autographed bat from the 1934 Ashes series and the ball delivered by Eddie Gilbert in 1931, which dismissed Bradman for a duck.
What to look for next?
The cap will be displayed alongside these pieces, strengthening the Museum’s collection of Australian sporting memorabilia and highlighting Bradman’s role in cricket history.