Our Don Bradman
by Peter Allen
If your school is interested in a visit to the Bradman Centre as an extension of your classroom program please contact Mark at [email protected]
The story is based on the experiences of a young boy Victor McDonald who is cricket mad. Victor receives a diary for his twelfth birthday in January 1932 and uses his diary to record factual events as well as telling the story of his family. He describes playing for his school team and his dream to meet his cricketing hero, Don Bradman while Australia is in the grip of the Great Depression. The book cover dictates the following account:
The Don is my hero because he is the greatest batsman in the world. Dad says all Australians are proud of The Don, even those who don’t normally follow cricket. He says The Don is an inspiration to everyone because whenever he gets a big score, people smile and forget about their troubles.
Victor McDonald is cricket mad. He plays for his school team and his dream is to meet his cricketing hero, Don Bradman.
But Australia is in the grip of the Great Depression. Work isn’t easy to come by. Victor’s father has lost his job and the family is moving to Sydney.
Despite the daily struggle of life in inner Sydney Victor not only sees Don Bradman in action, he even gets to meet him. With the England cricket team coming to Australia, Victor knows it’s going to be a great cricket season. But England has some nasty surprises in store. This will be one cricket season the Australians — and Victor — will never forget.
The Bradman Centre was delighted to have Peter visit the museum in June to talk to a group of year 6 students about his book. Peter admitted he found the idea of writing a book through the eyes of a 12 year old quite daunting! He described how he spent countless hours at the Mitchel Library reading newspapers of the time so that the events described by Victor in his diary – the opening of the Harbour Bridge, the political unrest with the new guard, Phar Lap’s American win and subsequent death, and of course life through the Depression, were all historically accurate.
As the young Victor’s diary unfolds, the England cricket team is coming to Australia and he knows it’s going to be a great cricket season, but England has some nasty surprises in store!
This truly is a wonderful book describing the unfolding of various key events in Australia’s history in a unique and entertaining way.
If your school is interested in a visit to the Bradman Centre as an extension of your classroom program please contact Mark at [email protected]
Downloads
Teacher’s Resource for Our Don Bradman: Historical Inquiry
School Booking Form
Bradman Centre Risk Assessment
Bradman Centre Education Overview
