Bradman family seek road name change reversed

Adelaide, August 31: It was not a happy 92nd birthday for cricket legend Sir Donald Bradman.As family and close friends gathered at his Ad...

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Adelaide, August 31: It was not a happy 92nd birthday for cricket legend Sir Donald Bradman.

As family and close friends gathered at his Adelaide home last Sunday to celebrate, it is believed Sir Donald voiced disgust at the recent controversy surrounding his name.

Last year, when he sanctioned the renaming of Burbridge Road to Sir Donald Bradman Drive, cricket’s greatest batsman didn’t anticipate becoming the centre of controversy.

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Now, with businesses clamouring to change their titles to include the new name of the road in Adelaide’s West, Bradman and his family have had enough and they want the renaming scrapped, Australian Associated Press reported.

But West Torrens City Council says it’s too late — the renaming was gazetted on August 3, road signs have been completed and about 2000 businesses and residents have been informed that the change takes effect next January 1.

Signs of trouble emerged for the Bradman family when a cafe owner on the road moved to change her businesses name to Bradman’s Cafe Restaurant.

The Bradman Foundation, the charitable organisation that holds rights to the Bradman name and operates various activities on his behalf, threatened legal action.

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After subsequent media attention, a host of businesses along Burbridge Road served notice of their intention to alter their names — including one sex shop which wants to rename itself Erotica on Bradman.

West Torrens Mayor John Trainer sympathised with the Bradman family but believed it was impossible to reverse the road’s name change.