✦ Celebrity stories, facts and career updates. Explore F4U now →

Home › Biography › Don Bradman

Don Bradman biographyFeatured Biography

Image source: StarsUnfolded

Celebrities

Don Bradman Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 5, 2026 • 4 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth27 August 1908

Age92 (at time of death)

BirthplaceCootamundra, New South Wales, Australia

ProfessionFormer Cricketer

NationalityAustralian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseJessie Martha Menzies

FamilyChildren: first son (died 1936), John Bradman (born 1939), Shirley Bradman (born 1941)

Don Bradman Biography

Donald George "Don" Bradman is widely regarded as the greatest batsman in cricket history. An Australian whose international career spanned the late 1920s–

Early life and background
Donald George Bradman was born on 27 August 1908 in Cootamundra, New South Wales. Raised in the small community of Bowral, he attended Bowral High School. From an early age he displayed prodigious batting ability, practicing with a golf ball against a curved brick wall and scoring big totals in local competitions. As a schoolboy he recorded an undefeated 115 for Bowral Public School and later produced dominant scores in district cricket that brought him to wider attention.

Career
Bradman made his first-class debut for New South Wales in 1927 at age 19 and marked the occasion with a century, a breakthrough described as a turning point in his career. He earned his Test debut for Australia on 30 November 1928 against England. Although his first Test scores were modest and he was dropped after Australia suffered a heavy defeat, he was recalled later in the series and immediately produced significant innings, including a century that made him the youngest Australian to reach that landmark at the time.

Across his Test career Bradman established records that remain monumental in cricket history. His career Test batting average of 99.94 is the highest on record among players meeting the minimum innings requirement. He converted centuries and double centuries at remarkable rates, compiled the highest single-season series aggregate of 974 runs in 1930, and became the first Test batsman to score two triple centuries. He scored more runs against England than any other opponent and twice produced exceptional partnerships, including a 451-run stand with Bill Ponsford during the 1934 Ashes that stood as a record for decades.

Domestically, Bradman represented New South Wales from 1927 to 1934 and later played for South Australia from 1935 to 1949. He was known for favored strokes such as the pull shot and the straight drive, and was never dismissed stumped in Test cricket. He captained Australia in Test matches and later served as an Australian selector.

Awards and later roles
In recognition of his services to cricket, Bradman was knighted in 1949, becoming the only Australian sportsperson to receive that honour at the time. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia on 16 June 1979. After retiring from top-level play following the 1948 Ashes, he continued his involvement in the game as an umpire in South Australian grade cricket and as an author. His memoir Farewell to Cricket appeared in 1950, and he contributed writing to newspapers.

Public profile
Bradman’s fame extended beyond statistics. The public hailed him following his extraordinary 1930 Ashes series, and he remained a central figure in Australian sporting life. He composed and performed music in the early 1930s and maintained a reputation for private, sometimes reclusive behaviour in later life, particularly as his wife’s health declined. The Bradman name inspired songs, commemorative coins, and a dedicated museum at his birthplace in Cootamundra. In 2009 he was posthumously inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

Personal life
Bradman married Jessie Martha Menzies on 30 April 1932. The couple endured several personal tragedies: their first son died in infancy in 1936, and their other children faced serious health challenges. John Bradman was born in 1939 and Shirley in 1941. Bradman served briefly with the Royal Australian Air Force during the Second World War but was declared medically unfit in 1941 after losing sensation in two fingers. His wife died in 1997.

Legacy and commemorations
Bradman’s impact on Australian culture and cricket is reflected in honours ranging from a named ground, Bradman Oval in Bowral, to coins issued by the Royal Australian Mint. On the centenary of his birth in 2008 a $5 commemorative gold coin was released, and a 20 cent coin bearing his image was produced after his death. He remains the subject of books he authored and of numerous tributes that mark him as a defining figure in the sport.

Latest updates
Bradman died on 25 February 2001 in Kensington Park, South Australia. In the years after his passing his family continued to manage his legacy, and public recognition of his achievements has included both Hall of Fame induction and ongoing cultural tributes.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Don Bradman, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
◈

Recent Work

Farewell to Cricket

Memoir reflecting on his career and life in cricket, published in 1950.

1950
✦

Career Highlights

  1. Recorded a Test career batting average of 99.94, the highest on record (minimum 20 innings)
  2. Scored 974 runs in the 1930 Ashes series, the highest runs in a Test series
  3. First batsman in Test history to score two triple centuries
  4. Formed a record 451-run partnership with Bill Ponsford in 1934 that stood for decades
  5. Knighted in 1949 for services to cricket
  6. Appointed Companion of the Order of Australia on 16 June 1979
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Don Bradman born?

Don Bradman was born on 27 August 1908.

What is Don Bradman known for?

Don Bradman is known for former Cricketer.

What is Don Bradman’s marital status?

Don Bradman's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Don Bradman married to?

Don Bradman is publicly listed as married to Jessie Martha Menzies.