LESKI AUCTIONS PTY. LTD.
13 Cato Street, Hawthorn East 3123, Victoria, Australia
Telephone:
Facsimile:
61-3-9864-9999
61-3-9822-2788
Email: contact@leski.com.au
A.B.N.13 081 928 921
Media Release
September
1st, 2008
BRADMAN’S FIRST TEST BAT IN MAIDEN AUCTION
To own the first bat used by Sir Donald Bradman in his remarkable Test career would be equivalent to
owning a copy of the Magna Carta or the boots worn by Neil Armstrong when he became the first man to
walk on the moon. All have shaped history in ways that are almost impossible to catalogue.
Bradman donated his bat in 1930 to a competition run by The Sun in Sydney to help raise money to endow
the ‘Don Bradman Cot’ at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children. It was won by George Lethbridge,
and has remained in his family ever since.
There are a total of 47 signatures, including 19 from the 1928-29 English team. Among the signatures are
Bradman, Jardine, Larwood, O’Reilly, Richardson, Hendren, Tate, Leyland and Ironmonger
The bat featured in an ‘Australian Icons’ exhibition at the State Library of NSW in 2006. It comes with the
original certificate awarded to George Lethbridge, a current Australian Cultural Heritage Export Permit, and
copies of newspaper articles and photographs which appeared during the competition. These confirm that
the bat was used by Bradman in the Brisbane Test match in November, 1928.
It will be offered for sale by Leski Auctions in Melbourne on Wednesday, September 24th at 6.30pm. Lot
193 has a pre-sale estimate of $90,000 - $120,000.
“This remarkable bat is ‘ground zero’ of Bradman’s Test career,”
says Charles Leski. “The great rivalry
between England and Australia, the ‘Bodyline’ series, even later developments in the sport like World Series
Cricket can be traced to the arrival of Don Bradman and this bat on to the Test scene.”
About Leski Auctions
Leski Auctions was established in 1973 and is one of Australia’s leading auctioneers of Sporting Memorabilia,
Australiana, Collectibles and World Philately.
Leski Auctions is a recognised leader in the area of early photography, art, wine, cameras, books, autographs,
entertainment memorabilia, medals, coins, stamps, aerophilately, cigarette and trade cards, maps, railway
memorabilia, advertising artwork and posters, and the Olympics, football and cricket..
It was the first auction house in Australia to introduce an on-line, real-time bidding system ‘Live Bid Online’™,
which allows participation from anywhere in the world. It currently runs 22 auctions per year.
Leski Auctions has previously sold many significant collections, including those of Shirley Strickland, Ron Clarke,
Sir Reginald Ansett and former RSL President, Bruce Ruxton. It has sold more ‘baggy green’ caps than any other
auction house in the world, and is one of the largest
auctioneers of cricket memorabilia by value and volume.
Leski Auctions recently sold the newly-discovered Phar Lap horse tonic recipe book.
Managing Director Charles Leski is a registered valuer for the Cultural Gifts Program through the Department of
Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. He is also the valuer of the displayed items at the National Sports
Museum at the MCG, Melbourne.
The company is located at 13 Cato Street, Hawthorn East 3123 Australia. Telephone +61-3-864 9999 and
Issued by:
Charles Leski, Leski Auctions
Michael Krape, Michael Krape Consulting
Tel: 61-3-9864 9999
Tel: 0403 135 880
LESKI AUCTIONS PTY. LTD.
13 Cato Street, Hawthorn East 3123, Victoria, Australia
Telephone:
Facsimile:
61-3-9864-9999
61-3-9822-2788
Email: contact@leski.com.au
A.B.N.13 081 928 921
charles@leski.com.au
michaelkrape@krape.com.au
NEWS 
