Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

On indulgence, I would like to make a few remarks about the passing of Bill Brown. I think everyone was saddened recently by the passing of Bill Brown, the former test captain of the Australian cricket team, a member of Sir Donald Bradman’s 1948 Invincibles, and Australia’s last surviving prewar test cricketer. At the age of 95 he was Australia’s oldest surviving test cricketer and was, based on our records, the only native-born Queenslander to captain the Australian team. He was an outstanding opening batsman, averaging 46.8 runs playing for Australia and 56.3 runs playing for Queensland, and made a major contribution to the building up of the strength of the game in my home state. He served in the RAAF in the Pacific during the Second World War, briefly resuming his career afterwards and then retiring from test cricket in 1948.

Bill Brown left a lasting impression on all those who encountered him. Around Australia today people have been sharing warm, personal stories about Bill Brown—the time he visited their school to teach aspiring cricketers how to hold a bat, the time they met him at his sports store in Brisbane or the time they saw him at a local community event or game. Steve Waugh said today:

Bill was the man who my generation really looked up to.

For us he was the embodiment of everything great about the baggy green cap.

Bill was also a man of some mischief and humour. Robert Craddock tells a great story in today’s Courier-Mail, reflecting on Bill’s genuine larrikin sense of humour. The story goes along the following lines. Apparently when he was flying with the Royal Australian Air Force in Papua New Guinea an American hostess one day told him she was concerned about the recklessness of Australian pilots. Bill was the pilot at the time. He assured her that he was mature and trustworthy, as were all Australian pilots. But when she returned to the cockpit she discovered that there was nobody in the cockpit flying the plane. She descended to the rear of the aircraft, screaming. Bill had decided to hide in a cupboard just to give her a thrill. An interesting way to give people a thrill!

Bill was awarded the Order of Australia in 2000 for services to cricket as a player, selector, coach and administrator and for his involvement with the cricket charity Lords Taverners, which is a fantastic charity that raises money for disadvantaged young people. I had the great privilege to meet Bill a number of times at games at the Gabba. He was always a bit like Barnabas, the ‘son of encouragement’—always with something positive to say to young players and to people he generally met about what good things they were doing and how they could do better.

We of course extend our sympathy to his wife, Barbara; to his sons, Steve, Geoff and Peter; and to his 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Bill Brown’s life innings of 95 is a significant innings by any person’s standard, but it has been a huge innings for Australia.

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