Sir Donald Bradman’s Boyhood Home

52 Shepherd Street is a good example of a late Victorian weatherboard country town cottage. The house was built in 1890 and has been occupied by numerous families over time. However, it is most notable for having been a childhood home of the legendary cricketer, Sir Donald Bradman. Bradman lived in the house for twelve years and developed his batting and throwing skills in solitary games involving the tank stand and the post-and-rail boundary fence formerly located at the house and made famous by footage of ‘The Don’ recreating these games for a film crew in the 1930s.

The Conservation Management Plan was prepared following the detailed investigation of the place including the oral histories of three previous owners. The report identified reconstruction opportunities and suggested ways to interpret its historic associations and has led to the conservation of the property.

Photographs courtesy of the Bradman Museum Trust Collection, Bowral