Piyush M Padwale
The iconic baggy green of legendary Australian batsman Sir Donald Bradman, fondly referred to as Don Bradman, has been acquired by The National Museum of Australia in Canberra for a whopping $438,500 (≈ ₹2.52 crore), with the federal government contributing half its cost.
The cap is widely thought to have been worn during the 1946–47 Ashes, Australia’s first series after World War II and a moment that came to represent hope and renewal. In that contest, Bradman was at his brilliant best, scoring 680 runs at an astonishing average of 97.14 and leading Australia to a dominant 3-0 whitewash over arch-rivals England.
Some accounts, however, suggest that it was Bradman’s final baggy green from the 1948 “Invincibles” tour, when Australia went unbeaten in 34 matches in England. That tour marked both his retirement and the team’s lasting legacy as one of the greatest in cricket history.
The cap is one of only 11 known Bradman baggy greens still in existence. While one is housed at the Australian Sports Museum, most others remain in private collections. Beyond the sport, the Baggy Green came to represent pride and the revival of national identity in post-war Australia.
This addition will now become part of the National Historical Collection and go on display in the Landmarks Gallery, joining other cherished Bradman pieces such as his signed bat from the 1934 Ashes.
Museum officials, among them National Museum Director Katherine McMahon and Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke, hailed the cap as an irreplaceable piece of Australia’s heritage and a cherished national treasure.
They believe it will give future generations the chance to connect more personally with Australia’s sporting and cultural heritage, standing as a lasting tribute to the nation’s greatest cricketing icon.