Donald Bradman

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Personal

Bradman married his childhood sweetheart, Jessie, and had two children, John and Shirley. An intensely private person, probably because of the intense media scrutiny he suffered, he was regarded as aloof even by teammates, particularly in later years. A strict adherent to the Church of England, he had occasionally been accused of anti-Catholicism in his actions as captain and selector - however, it should be pointed out that at that time sectarian prejudice was very widespread in Australia.

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He also spoke out against smoking in sport, which was very unusual for the time.

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Bradman is immortalised in two popular songs of very different styles and eras, "Our Don Bradman", a jaunty 1930s ditty by Jack O'Hagan, and Bradman by Paul Kelly in the 1980s. The story of the Bodyline series was also told in a television series.

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He also wrote several books on cricket technique and tactics, which are regarded as classics.

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John Bradman was the subject of a minor controversy when he changed his surname legally to Bradson, in an attempt to avoid the publicity attached to the Bradman name. Bradman was variously claimed to have had a feud with his son over this event.

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