Cricket Captains' Walk

The Cricket Captains' Walk is a collection of specially commissioned bronze busts of Test captains of the Australian men’s national cricket team, arrayed on pedestals on either side of a looping path set in a large public park in Cootamundra, New South Wales. The all-weather path, which starts and ends at Wallendoon Street is family, jogger, and wheelchair friendly, and approximately 250 metres long.

Cricket Captains' Walk
Cricket Captains' Walk, Cootamundra. For clarity, only a few names are listed here.
1
Dave Gregory
2
Hugh Massie
3
Harry Trott
4
Syd Gregory
5
Vic Richardson
6
Ian Craig
7
Greg Chappell
8
Mark Taylor
9
Ricky Ponting
10
Tim Paine

History

The Walk was planned and executed by the Cootamundra Shire Council (now Cootamundra–Gundagai Regional Council) with the approval of the Australian Cricket Board (now Cricket Australia).

  • Stage 1, unveiled on 30 August 1998, comprised the likenesses of Unaarrimin (Johnny Mullagh), Dave Gregory, Bill Murdoch, Arthur Morris, Richie Benaud, Bobby Simpson, Bill Lawry, Ian Chappell, Greg Chappell, Allan Border and Mark Taylor. Modelling of these busts was performed by Carl Valerius, sculptor and stone mason of Harden–Murrumburrah, perhaps best known for his bronze statues at the Australian Light Horse Memorial in Harden–Murrumburrah, notably the horse "Bill the Bastard", of which the full size version is expected to be completed in 2020.[1]

The nearby statue by Valerius[2] (shown below) of Bradman in action was unveiled during the celebrations for "Sir Don"'s 92nd Birthday in August 2000.[3] A minor mystery surrounds the Brian Booth sculpture, similar in style to others by Valerius, but not credited in the official documentation. There is no obvious clue in the plaques, which have been commendably uniform in style and execution over 30 years.

  • Stage 2, comprising the remaining 30 captains, was unveiled by the sculptor Tom Bass on 27 August 2008, the centenary of Bradman's birth barely a kilometre away. Much of this work was performed by Bass and his team. His bust of Bradman was unveiled by the cricketer's grandson, Tom Bradman.[4]
  • Stage 3, unveiled on 12 March 2020, brought the walk up-to-date with the unveiling of three new busts - Shane Watson, Steve Smith and Tim Paine and a plaque for Michael Clarke, who was mid-career when the second tranche of busts were commissioned. All three were made by the Tom Bass sculpture studio.

The busts

WorkNameSpecialtyTests as CaptainPlaqueArtistNotes
Johnny Mullagh, traditional name Unaarrimin or UnaarrimmimLed Australian Aboriginal cricket team in England in 1868Carl ValeriusSponsored by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
Dave Gregory3 Tests
1876–77
1878–79
Carl ValeriusSponsored by Goldenfields Water County Council
Billy MurdochRH batsman16 Tests
1880–1890
Carl ValeriusMurdoch was a practising solicitor in Cootamundra in 1881. Sponsored by Australia Post
Tom HoranRH batsman
Bowler
2 Tests
1884–85
Robert Pratten
Hugh MassieRH batsman1 Test
1884–85
Bernice Lowe
Jack BlackhamWicketkeeper
RH batsman
8 Tests
1884–85
1891–92
1893
1894–95
Karen Alexander
Tup ScottRH batsman
Bowler
3 Tests
1886
Damien Lucas
Percy McDonnellRH batsman6 Tests
1886–87
Wendy Black
George GiffenRH batsman
Bowler
4 Tests
1894–95
Michael Christie & Sue Alexopoulos
Harry TrottRH batsman
Bowler
8 Tests
1896
1897–98
Damien Lucas
Joe DarlingLH batsman21 Tests
1901–02
1902
1902–03
1905
Lea Ferris
Hugh TrumbleRH batsman
Bowler
2 Tests
1901–02
Sue Alexopoulos
Monty NobleRH batsman
Bowler
15 Tests
1903–04
1907–08
1909
Carol Crawford
Clem HillLH batsman10 Tests
1910–11
Bernice Lowe
Syd GregoryRH batsman6 Tests
1912
Michael Christie
Warwick ArmstrongRH batsman
Bowler
10 Tests
1920–21
Christine Crimmins
Herbie CollinsRH batsman11 Tests
1921–22
1924–25
1926
BJ (Beomjin) Kim
Warren BardsleyLH batsman2 Tests
1926
Peter Bartlett
Jack RyderRH batsman
Bowler
5 Tests
1928–29
Julieanne Mahony
Bill WoodfullRH batsman25 Tests
1930
1930–31
1931–32
1932–33
1934
Virginia Lloyd–Tait
Vic RichardsonRH batsman
Slips fieldsman
5 Tests
1935–36
Robert Pratten
Don BradmanRH batsman24 Tests
1936–37
1938
1946–47
1947–48
1948
Tom Bass
Bill BrownRH opening batsman1 Test
1945–46
Karen Alexander
Lindsay HassettRH batsman
Bowler
24 Tests
1951–52
1952–53
1953
Petrena Shaw
Arthur MorrisLH batsman2 Tests
1951–52
1954–55
Carl Valerius
Ian JohnsonRH batsman
Bowler
17 Tests
1954–55
1956
1956–57
Janet Coyne
Ray LindwallRH Bowler
Lower-order batsman
1 Test
1956–57
Michael Christie
Ian CraigRH batsman5 Tests
1957–58
Peter Bartlett
Richie BenaudRH batsman
Leg spin bowler
28 Tests
1958–1964
Carl Valerius
Neil HarveyLH batsman
Cover fieldsman
1 Test
1961
Bernice Lowe
Bob SimpsonRH opening batsman
Leg spin bowler
Slips fieldsman
39 Tests
1963–1978
Carl Valerius
Brian BoothRH batsman2 Tests
1965–1966
Bill LawryLH opening batsman25 Tests
1967–1971
Carl ValeriusSponsored by the City of Darebin, Victoria, who have a replica in their council chambers.
Barry JarmanRH batsman
Wicketkeeper
1 Test
1968
Carol Crawford
Ian ChappellRH top-order batsman
Slips fieldsman
30 Tests
1970–1975
Carl Valerius
Greg ChappellRH batsman
Bowler
Fieldsman
48 Tests
1975–1983
Carl Valerius
Graham YallopLH top-order batsman7 Tests
1978–1979
Damien Lucas
Kim HughesRH batsman28 Tests
1978–1984
Wendy Black
Allan BorderLH batsman
Bowler
Fieldsman
93 Tests
1984–1994
Carl Valerius
Mark TaylorLH batsman
Slips fieldsman
50 Tests
1994–1999
Carl ValeriusSponsored by Pat Kerin, Cootamundra cricketing aficionado
Steve WaughRH batsman
Bowler
57 Tests
1999–2004
Carl Valerius
Adam GilchristLH batsman
Wicketkeeper
6 Tests
2000–2004
Sue Alexopoulos
Ricky PontingRH batsman77 Tests
2003–2010
Wendy Black
Michael ClarkeRH batsman
Slips fieldsmman
47 Tests
2011–2015
Christine Crimmins
Shane WatsonRH batsman
Fast bowler
1 Test
2013
Wendy Black
Steve SmithRH batsman
Slips fieldsmman
34 Tests
2014–2018
Monika Scarrabelotti
Tim PaineRH batsman
Wicketkeeper
19* Tests
2018–present
Christine Crimmins

See also

References

  1. "Carl Valerius, Local Artist, Stone Mason & creator of Bill the Bastard statue". Hilltops Council. 27 May 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  2. "A Life-size Hollow-cast Bronze Statue of Donald Bradman, By Carl Valerius". Sotheby's Australia. Retrieved 24 September 2019. artist's copy, sold 7 April 2018 for $52,000 at public auction entitled Russell Crowe — Art of Divorce.
  3. "Cricket Captains' Walk". Monuments Australia. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  4. From details on "diptych" plaque at entrance to Walk (pictured in "Gallery" directly above)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.