From:Rocky Hill War Memorial Museum
Name/TitleCricket Bat Slazengers County Driver Wartime Manufacture
About this objectA very rare Australian willow and cane cricket bat with a leather-wrapped handle. Stamped into the bat face is 'Slazengers' at the top on either side of the handle. Below is stamped 'County Driver' and 'selected Australian willow & cane', and below is listed: 'War Time Manufacture', in a bold, stylised Gothic font. This factory stamp directly denotes that it was produced under strict resource restrictions during the WWII era. With sporting goods in short supply, Slazenger Australia manufactured these utility bats from locally sourced English willow for allied troops and for students to boost morale. It was used during the war and at William Balmain Teachers College (now the Lindfield Learning Village) and continued to be used long after the war ended.
This cricket bat is a rare and compelling material record of the Australian home front during the Second World War. It directly illustrates the impact of wartime global supply chain disruptions on local manufacturing and recreational life. When traditional imports of English Willow were completely severed due to blockades and industrial mobilisation, local manufacturers like Slazenger had to adapt. By utilising locally grown Australian willow, this object embodies the resourcefulness, self-reliance, and "make do" attitude characteristic of Australian wartime industry.
MakerSlazengers
Maker RoleManufacturer
Date Madec.1939-1945
Period20th-century
Place MadeAustralia
Medium and MaterialsCane, Leather, Wood. Fair to Poor condition.
Style and IconographyCommerical Manufacture
Inscription and MarksStamped into the bat face is 'Slazengers' at the top on either side of the handle. Below is stamped 'County Driver' and 'selected Australian willow & cane' and below list 'War Time Manufacture'.
Measurements87cm long x 11cm wide
Subject and Association KeywordsCricket
Subject and Association KeywordsHome Front sports
Subject and Association KeywordsWilliam Balmain Teachers College
Subject and Association KeywordsSlazenger's
Subject and Association DescriptionUsed at William Balmain Teachers College. (Now the Lindfield Learning Village) The bat was in use during and after World War Two.
Credit LineDonated by Jack Miller, Goulburn.
Object TypeSporting Equipment
Object number2026.1070
Copyright LicenceAll rights reserved
