Rare footage of 1938 Ashes

As Tim Paine’s squad celebrates retaining the Ashes, rare behind-the-scenes footage has emerged of another famous Ashes team

Don Bradman, left, and Bill Brown walking out to bat at Trent Bridge in 1938

As Tim Paine’s squad celebrates retaining the Ashes, rare behind-the-scenes footage has emerged of another famous Ashes team that also crushed the Poms.

The late, great opening batsman Bill Brown, one of Steve Waugh’s favourite players, has been hailed as a GoPro star 80 years ahead of his time after taking his eight-millimetre camera on the 1938 Ashes tour.

He captured Don Bradman’s tourists meeting film stars such as Jessie Matthews, travelling down the Suez Canal, playing golf, kicking footballs, watching the Wimbledon finals, seeing famous landmarks in Paris and going to the Melbourne Cup once they were home.

Brown, who died in 2008 aged 97, gave the footage to well-known Brisbane cameraman Anthony George, a close family friend, who has cut it for public viewing.

“Bill deserves to be regarded as a leader — a GoPro pioneer,’’ said George. “I cannot think of anyone in any sport who went behind the scenes on a tour like that before Bill. There may have been stuff taken of games, but we are talking away-from-the game colour. Bill owned sports stores and he would bring the footage home and show it to his customers on special nights.’’

George said he had no idea of the footage.

“I remember going to Bill’s place and was having (Bill’s wife) Barbara’s famous curried egg sandwiches and a cup of tea and Barbara came out with a box with six different film canisters.

“I took them home and cleaned up the film and got a projector and digitised it. I saw footage of Bill’s kids on a farm but right in the middle of it there was 20 minutes on the 1938 Ashes tour.’’