Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from Australian Community Media, which has journalists in every state and territory. Sign up here to get it by email, or here to forward it to a friend. Today's newsletter is written by Newcastle Herald journalist Damon Cronshaw.
Many consider Sir Don Bradman to be our greatest cricketer. He's also widely considered to be the greatest Australian sportsperson of all time.
Former Prime Minister John Howard, known for being a cricket tragic and for the worst bowling effort ever caught on video, once called Bradman the "greatest living Australian".
So it's no surprise that towns where he once lived bask in claiming him as their own.
Newspapers from our Australian Community Media stable like to claim Bradman, too.
The Cootamundra Herald says on its front page: "Cootamundra: the birthplace of Sir Donald Bradman".
And the Southern Highland News says on its front page: "The Home of Sir Donald Bradman".
This battle for Bradman was taken to new lengths in a recent parliamentary debate in Canberra.
Shortland MP Pat Conroy [from the Newcastle area] went into bat for NSW, saying it was the true home of Bradman.
Mr Conroy was responding - somewhat in jest - after Sturt MP James Stevens outrageously claimed Bradman for South Australia.
Bradman did play for South Australia from 1935 to 1949. But he played for NSW from 1927 to 1934.
It's remarkable, though, that he played for Australia across 20 years - from 1928 to 1948 - not to mention his 99.94 batting average in his 52 test matches wearing the Baggy Green.
Bradman grew up in Bowral [he was nicknamed The Boy from Bowral as well as The Don] - but he was born in Cootamundra.
In the Newcastle Herald's Topics column, a reader told us about the Captains Walk - a path in a Cootamundra park that's lined with busts of Australian cricket captains and a life-sized statue of Bradman.
We imagine a walk down that path would be like seeing the ghosts of cricket's past.
Which reminds us of a tale about Bradman.
Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne went to see him on his 90th birthday.
Tendulkar said: "Sir Don, if you were playing today, what would you have averaged?' He said, '70 probably'."
Tendulkar asked: "Why 70 and not your actual average of 99?"
Bradman replied, "Come on, an average of 70 is not bad for a 90-year-old man."
Damon Cronshaw, Newcastle Herald journalist
Other stuff happening around Australia
- Do you recognise this man?
- Blocked highway, 220km and change of hospitals: Ulladulla baby makes dramatic arrival
- 'That's the last time I saw her': Mum recalls Kristie's last words
- Fossils under Bendigo could be buried with 32 million ounces of gold
- Three police injured, man under police guard after wild crime spree
Sign up below to receive the Voice of Real Australia newsletter direct to your inbox each weekday
