About The Bradman Foundation
The Bradman Foundation, a non-profit charitable trust, was established in 1987 with the full support of Sir Donald Bradman AC to promote cricket as a valuable cultural and sporting force within the community.
Its most recent achievement was the opening of The International Cricket Hall of Fame located in Bowral, New South Wales. This new facility had its origins in the popular Bradman Museum, which existed to collect, preserve and exhibit Australia’s cricketing heritage. This remit has now been expanded to reflect the place and contribution of the game of cricket throughout history and the world. The building was made possible by a $6.5 million grant from the Federal Government to officially acknowledge, in 2008, the centenary of Sir Donald Bradman’s birth.
The Foundation’s dedication to honouring the contribution Sir Donald Bradman made to the game of cricket during his lifetime is now found in The Bradman Gallery within The International Cricket Hall of Fame, a space that allows more displays than the previous museum and a deeper exploration into Bradman the man, beyond the cricket pitch.
The Foundation also regularly hosts exhibition matches and special events on Bradman Oval. A special focus is the development youth through cricket, and this goal is reflected through the opportunities offered to young cricketers including university scholarships, sponsorship of youth cricket, and annual Bradman Coaching Camps.
Together with Sir Donald Bradman, the Foundation commenced the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year Award, announced during the annual Allan Border Medal gala evening in Melbourne. Run in conjunction with Cricket Australia, the recipient, chosen as an outstanding young player of the season, is awarded a Sir Donald Bradman autographed cricket bat. Sir Donald autographed just 99 of these bats for this special award. This program commenced in 1989 and will remain for the lifetime of the bats.
In late 2010 The Bradman Foundation received a boost from the NSW Government in the form of $7.4 million to support further development of The International Cricket Hall of Fame and the Bradman Oval precinct. The project includes:
- five new galleries and expansion of display content, including the development of an Interactive Classroom Connect Program which will immediately connect the facility to global educational institutions linked to the AARNET Internet Network; and
- an upgrade of the heritage-listed Bradman Oval to a world class standard – which will enable higher level matches to be played at the facility.
