E&OE..................
It is a special honour to have been invited by the Australian Cricket Board to deliver the inaugural Sir Donald Bradman Oration.
I have no doubt that the Oration will become an important occasion - an opportunity to honour Sir Donald's continuing example to us all, to reflect upon his remarkable achievements and to extol the qualities of a game so indelibly a part of Australian life.
I saw Sir Donald Bradman play but once.
As a ten year old boy I sat on the now banished Hill of the Sydney Cricket Ground to see him score 53 runs in just 65 minutes in a testimonial match for two former state captains, Alan Kippax and Bert Oldfield, in front of a crowd of over 41,000 people. It was his last match on that famous ground.
As other 'cricket tragics' in the audience will know, some matches remain with you forever. That was certainly one - another was an opportunity in 1997 to take time out from official duties and watch Australia battle England at Lords in the Second Test. The first day was ruined by rain. The second day was ruined for England by Glenn McGrath as he headed towards 8 for 38 in one of the finest displays of fast bowling I have ever seen.
Rumour has it that I am not the first Prime Minister to take an interest in cricket.
Sixty years before me, Sir Robert Menzies - not yet then Prime Minister - was determined to see Don Bradman's Australians in action against England. In organising a ministerial visit to Britain he sent word ahead in the hope that those arranging the meetings would have a full list of cricketing fixtures at hand and that Menzies may offer himself, in spite of physical improbabilities, as the team's mascot.
I can report that Menzies saw much more of the English summer of cricket than I did. In fact, he contrived to see something of most of the matches in which Australia played.
Faced with some criticism of my own visit to Lords, perhaps I could have repeated a statement of Menzies before he departed for England sixty years earlier, "We are all disposed to look kindly at each other in regard to cricket. Many might be indifferent at it. None were indifferent to it."
Prime Ministerial passion for cricket is utterly bipartisan. Bob Hawke also loves the game. To his great credit, after becoming Prime Minister in 1983, he revived the practice of a Prime Minister's XI match against the touring side which had fallen into disuse when Sir Robert Menzies departed the scene in 1966. That event continues to this day and is stronger and better than ever.
Likewise, Ben Chifley on arriving in the United Kingdom for an official visit during Australia's famous tour in 1948 is said to have immediately quizzed his English greeter with "who won the toss"?
So I have not been the first Australian Prime Minister to have recognised Sir Donald Bradman as a unique Australian - a man representing many of the values, much of the character of his countrymen. Even now, in another century, in a world scarcely recognisable to that in which he played, the name Bradman resonates with meaning - talent, determination, commitment, fair play, honour.
What then does this say about Bradman and what does it say about Australians that Bradman was so elevated to the honoured status that he now occupies in the national psyche?
It could be said that that his place was assured by his unparalleled record at the crease and certainly no exponent of the game has neared his achievement.
After all, here was a man who had scored his first test century at the age of 20, who had scored a triple test century at the age of 21 (including 309 runs in one day alone), whose record of scoring three double centuries in one test series remains unequalled to this day and who easily maintains the record of 12 test double centuries.
Indeed, Bradman's ability to accumulate runs was relentless and, in his famous test average of 99.94, there is the sobering comparison that the next highest average of a long serving Australian is that of Greg Chappell with a still outstanding 53.86 runs.
Bradman's domination of the record books can be seen in the simple, yet irrefutable fact that no other batsmen of any longevity has averaged above 65 in the history of international test matches and that the Bradman average is at least 50 per cent above all of them.
I was reminded recently of the often told story of the journalist who asked Sir Donald what he thought he would average if he was playing today with the professionalism of modern players and their approach to fitness and so on.
"Oh, about 50 I suppose," Sir Donald was supposed to have said.
"Do you really think cricketers have improved that much?" said the journalist.
To which Bradman replied "you have to remember, I'm over 90".
Some might claim that Sir Donald Bradman's enduring legend found form at a time when Australia was in desperate need of a hero.
It is true that some of Bradman's best cricket was played during the depths of Australia's worst depression and it helped lift the spirits of the nation. It held us together when the squalid sentence of mass unemployment risked splitting apart the social fabric of the nation.
The sheer volume of the unemployed who quite simply had nothing else to do with their time swelled the cricketing crowds who witnessed the young Bradman play during his early career.
And his message of hope carried throughout the country by the powerful new medium - radio - which could not only reach, but inspire vast numbers of the population.
He reminded Australians that they were capable of great things in their own right, that at a time when confidence ebbed away from their collective soul, they were competitive, resourceful and talented people. They were well and truly separate from England, comprised a sovereign nation, and displayed an egalitarian individualism that was uniquely Australian.
Bradman and his team-mates during those difficult years, helped nurture and reinforce the national spirit borne out of a generation's sacrifice during the First World War.
Sir Donald's capacity to sustain his countrymen during their dark, desperate days is undoubted. But it is not a past generation of Australians alone who have found cause to be inspired by his profound example. In every decade since the 1930's Australians have come to celebrate the Bradman record.
And so, in my view, it is not his record alone, not just the times in which he played, but also the quality of the man himself, which has elevated Sir Donald Bradman in the eyes of many to the status as the greatest living Australian.
In his book, The Art of Cricket, first published in 1958, Sir Donald Bradman cast his own pen over what he saw as the many qualities fostered by cricket. But in doing so, he revealed his own virtues.
Foremost amongst others, he said, was the development of character.
He wrote "I have no doubt that it moulds in an individual the right type of character better than any other sport. If that can be substantiated no other recommendation is required because character must surely be one of the greatest assets any nation, through its citizens, can possess."
Nor was he in any doubt that the imprint of cricket on the life of an individual would be indelible. "Common clay must go through the heat and fire of the furnace to become porcelain," he said. "But once through the furnace it can never be clay again. In the same way a man's character must remain permanently enriched by his experiences at cricket."
Bradman understood how important it was to acknowledge defeat, the umpire's adverse decision and a hundred other things with a smile.
I can only concur. There is no more easy task in the world than humbly coping with victory, but it is our response to defeat that reveals a person's moral fibre, together with their ability to learn and move on with honour.
Sir Donald also spoke about the more physical ways in which cricket helped to sharpen the mind and how the game helped to develop the ability to think, to reason out a problem, and to act quickly.
"Then there is the moral as well as physical courage," as Bradman put it, "of facing up to hard training, to bowl fast for hours under a hot sun on a flint hard pitch, to feel the agony of seeing dropped catches nullify your best work.
He noted that "the margin between defeat and victory can be so small it may even depend upon the sportsmanship of an individual. . Such acts of sportsmanship are the very essence of this great game."
Sir Donald also reflected upon the qualities of leadership that were necessary in the game.
"A good captain must be a fighter; confident but not arrogant, firm but not obstinate, able to take criticism without letting it unduly disturb him, for he is sure to get it - and unfairly too."
"I don't know any game which entails such a severe and prolonged strain on the skipper, but, like the master of a ship, he must exercise control and accept the responsibility."
These are lessons for all who aspire to the mantle of leadership, whether the captaincy of a cricket team or elsewhere.
These are Bradman's lessons - it is his living legacy.
So how shall we use them? What future lies ahead for the game of cricket?
Firstly, we must make certain that Australia's one truly national sport remains at the very centre of our lives.
Our lifestyle, unique and the envy of the world, has always been defined by an abundance of light and space and our climate and our geography would seem to guarantee the summer will always belong to cricket.
Certainly, there can be no doubt of cricket's continuing popularity. It is a remarkable tribute to the game that it can still hold the passion of so many people during a test match played over a period of five days in the fast moving 'just in time' world in which we all now live.
Proof of this was the attendance at last summer's test matches against India - support for the third test when the series had already been decided was extraordinary.
But it would be foolhardy to become complacent about the sport we love so much. It has survived so well throughout the decades because of its willingness to retain what is good about the past and relevant for the future, whilst embracing new ideas, techniques and approaches.
Cricket has been able to deliver what we often seek in other aspects of our lives. We feel instinctive ties to certain traditions and the enthusiasms of past generations but we also want to enjoy them in a way that's relevant, contemporary and successful in our own times.
Steve Waugh typifies this spirit. His skill and mental toughness has played a huge part in the current strength of Australian cricket at an international level. Yet he has a well known affection for the traditions of the game, typified by his idea that the first Test team to play in the year 2000 use the style of caps worn exactly a century before.
Crucial to the strength and development of cricket in Australia has been its link through the decades with two great media outlets - the ABC and Channel Nine.
It is impossible to fairly chronicle cricket's history over the past 100 years without paying tribute to the role of the ABC. My first recollection of test cricket was the ABC broadcasts of the 1946/47 MCC tour of Australia under Walter Hammond. The ABC cricket book, first published in 1934 and now Australia's longest running cricket journal, is the earliest sporting publication I can recall.
To this day, the ABC's radio broadcasts remain a source of contact with cricket for hundreds of thousands of Australian fans.
Channel Nine's television coverage of cricket has set standards unmatched anywhere else in the sporting world. It pioneered new techniques and enhancements which have added to the enjoyment of the game for millions in Australia and overseas.
The Nine Network has played a major role in making television coverage of sport in Australia the best in the world.
I think it is too early to make any judgement about the impact of the internet upon the game but the fact that 2.4 million unique visitors read 110 million pages on the 'Baggy Green' site over a single season augurs well for its future as yet another way to reach out to cricketing enthusiasts.
Whatever the medium, Australia has also been fortunate to have been entertained and educated by the world's best commentators. In different eras and in vastly different ways, men like the late Johnny Moyes and Alan MacGilvray, in radio, and Ritchie Benaud and Ian Chappell, in television, stamped their personalities and expertise on the broadcasting of the game.
It has not just been the reporting of the sport that has adapted to meet the needs of its followers. At times, despite considerable controversy and dire predictions of its demise, cricket has evolved in more fundamental ways.
The most momentous development in cricket in my lifetime was, of course, World Series Cricket. It generated controversy, provoked intense and passionate debate and defied some of the game's most honoured conventions.
In the process, it changed the game forever yet helped preserve it.
It is true that World Series Cricket was different. Players were paid more. The Super Tests, the one day game and night cricket all challenged the orthodoxy. Yet World Series Cricket introduced new enthusiasts, including many Australians in regional areas, able to see some of the world's greatest cricketers in action.
The compromise which ended the controversy - control of the game to the Australian Cricket Board, television rights to Channel Nine and better remuneration for the players themselves - saw cricket emerge stronger and more diversified. One day cricket provided the resources to sustain the game at other levels and Test cricket was strengthened when the skills of the one day game built upon those that had gone before.
In short, the game was able to accommodate both purists as well as those seeking new excitement and entertainment and typically of Australian sporting skill, the best players quickly adapted to both styles of play.
It gave cricket a special character amongst the world's sports - two games, they are different yet they are the same.
One form of cricket has never displaced the other. The layers simply deepened, the loyalties grew.
This capacity for renewal and reinvention has been a long standing quality of the game. Before World Series Cricket, others were realising the potential of international one day games.
During the 1970/1971 Ashes Series in Australia rain washed out the 1971 New Year Test in Melbourne. Concerned about the loss of revenue Sir Donald Bradman, as Chairman of the Board of Control, organised a one day game between England and Australia. 46,000 people watched Australia win an exciting match and the official international one day game was born.
And of course, yesterday we saw the first match played 'indoors' - another change, another variation, another Australian innovation, broadening the appeal of the game.
Particular tours have, when needed, breathed new life into the game. To cricket lovers of my generation, no tour did more, and none is more memorable, than the West Indies' tour of Australia in 1960/61. December this year will, in fact mark, the 40th anniversary of the famous 'tied Test' in Brisbane - an unforgettable game played by unforgettable characters on both sides.
It helped rekindle passions somewhat cooled after the Ashes tour two years earlier. Although successful for Australia, it had been pretty dreary, most notable for Trevor Bailey living up to the wonderfully evocative nickname of 'Barnacle' by notching up 68 runs in a record 458 minutes at the crease!
It is true to say that one of the greatest threats to the integrity of world class cricket ever encountered has been played out before us in recent times.
The recent allegations of match fixing represent a challenge to the very fine qualities encouraged by the game of cricket - to the very values personified by Sir Donald and so many of our other sporting champions.
We have all been saddened by allegations of match-fixing. Hanse Conje's admissions represent a great personal tragedy to our friends in South African cricket and claims from the sub-continent are still unresolved.
We all have a responsibility - administrators, players and supporters the world over - to act firmly and resolutely whenever there is evidence of corruption in the game.
We remember that Bradman himself was a model cricket administrator.
With the exception of only two years, Sir Donald held a position on the controlling board of cricket between the 1945/46 season and 1980. He was also an Australian selector continuously from 1936 to 1971 with the exception of only one tour. As the first former test player to be elected chairman of the Board of Control, he did not accept that sports scandal was integral to the phenomenon of sport and nor should the administrators of today.
I am pleased, therefore, that the ACB has such strong processes to deal with any allegations of corruption which may arise in the future.
At the Press Club recently, Malcolm Speed outlined how the Board intends to educate players, beginning with the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy, through the State teams, those selected to play for Australia A as well as the Australian team itself, about the standards of behaviour that are expected of players in relation to corruption in the game.
The ACB nominated Mr Richie Benaud to sit on the ICC's Code of Conduct Commission and soon the ICC's new anti-corruption unit will swing into action.
Mr Speed also said player contracts and codes of conduct now impose heavy penalties for such behaviour and that an investigator has been appointed to investigate allegations.
The latest initiative began this week where players will now sign a pledge to the public before every series to assure cricket lovers that they are playing every part of every match on its merits.
I can understand the views of many people who would ask what has become of the game to require such action but I also commend the Board on being seen to discharge its duties as defined in its mission statement and to set for itself the objective to "respect the spirit, traditions and values of cricket".
It should be lost on no-one, however, that no amount of education or regulation or contractual requirement can ever guarantee the highest level of fair play. In the end, it is for every player honoured with selection to the national team to return the trust of the cricket loving public. What is required is the good will and good conduct of the players. I am sure that the baggy green acts as a constant reminder of their responsibilities.
Ladies and Gentlemen, in conclusion, history has shown us we have every reason to be confident about the future of cricket, not just in this country, but throughout the great fraternity of cricketing nations around the globe.
Future generations of young Australians, learning to love this game in their local schools and clubs, as we did, will ensure its survival and success.
With well founded optimism about the game's future I share in Bradman's hope that cricket expand even further. For, as Sir Donald once said, "there are no tariff barriers, licences, restrictions, or any other obstacle in the way of exporting this game which can bring such benefit and pleasure to a whole nation. May cricket continue to flourish and spread its wings. The world can only be the richer for it."
With the example of Sir Donald as our inspiration - not just in cricket but in life - we can make this dream, or any dream, come true.