Don Bradman’s cap price will leave you shocked

A piece of Australia's cricketing and cultural history is now with us. A cap worn by Sir Donald Bradman during the 1946-47 Ashes series was purchased for AU$438,500 (≈ US$286,700) by the National Museum of Australia. The federal government funded half of the cost to protect the national treasure for future generations.

Bradman wore the famous baggy green when he captained Australia in the first Ashes series held after WWII. Australia won the five-Test series 3-0 and set up the famous "Invincibles" tour in 1948, when Bradman's team didn't lose a match in England.

Arts Minister Tony Burke described the cultural significance of the acquisition. Burke said Bradman's cultural legacy is an important part of Australian identity. “You'd be hard pressed to find an Australian who hasn’t heard of the great Donald Bradman, arguably the greatest cricketer of all time. Now that we have one of his iconic baggy greens on display in the National Museum of Australia means visitors can connect with our sporting and cultural history.”

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Historic Bradman Cap Added to Museum Collection

The cap is one of just 11 known Bradman baggy greens. One belongs to the Australian Sports Museum, and the other nine are in private collections, underscoring the importance of this moment.

Katherine McMahon, director of the National Museum, states, "Sir Donald's baggy green is a beacon of hope from a dark time in our history... Sir Donald's baggy green represents the life of Australia’s most prolific batsman and hope at a time when sporting heroes gave Australians hope after the devastation of the Second World War."

The cap will be displayed in the Landmarks gallery of the museum, which has 'significant moments in Australia's past.' The Museum will also display other Bradman artefacts, enabling cricket fans and lovers of history to view the memorabilia of an athlete who burst through the limits of sport.

While Bradman is regarded around the world as an untouchable cricketer without peer, he is also revered as a unifying figure in Australia. A baggy green is more than just sporting apparel: it represents tenacity, inspiration, and pride.