Exciting news! A permanent bronze statue to honour the legacy of pioneering cricketer Barbara Rae will be installed in Greater Bendigo later this year.
It follows the City of Greater Bendigo's successful submission for funding from the Victorian Women's Public Art Program to commemorate the 19 year old cricketer.
It is the first statue to honour a female cricketer in Victoria and only the second in Australia.
Bendigo is the birthplace of women's cricket in Australia and the first match between the 'Blues' and the 'Reds' occurred as part of the Easter Fair in 1874 to raise funds for the Bendigo Hospital and Benevolent Asylum.
Primary school teacher Barbara Rae was pivotal in organising the inaugural match, recruiting players and running coaching sessions at local cricket grounds. At that time, women required permission to play in 'male-only' sports in public.
As captain of the winning Blues team, Barbara was the top scorer and named player of the match.
The inaugural match was initially deemed a success and attended by thousands. It was during the following days that match players faced hostility in many Victorian newspapers for what was considered 'deplorable' and 'unseemly' behaviour for women to play public sport.
Now, almost 151 years since that first match, Barbara Rae's leadership and legacy lives on as women's cricket in Australia thrives, with record-breaking crowds and participation levels.
The City made a submission to the Victorian Women's Public Art Program last year and was shortlisted with 12 others from across the state. The program honours legacies of those who have forged a path for all Victorian women - reflecting diversity, and highlighting leadership, excellence, and service to the community across a range of fields.
The program's aim is to address the under-representation of women and their achievements by funding six public artworks in Victoria.
Public engagement on the submissions attracted more than 10,000 submissions before a final decision was made by the Minister for Women. The statue of Barbara Rae is the first of the six successful projects to be announced publicly.
The artist involved in the project will be revealed soon and the statue is expected to be installed in the latter half of 2025 in Bendigo.
Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said it was fantastic news for the cricketer to be immortalised in this way.
"Barbara Rae paved the way for women's cricket in Australia and it happened right here in Greater Bendigo," Cr Metcalf said.
"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the community for getting behind the campaign for Barbara.
"Barbara was a trailblazer who challenged the values of 19th century society.
"This new statue will be an important landmark for Greater Bendigo and Australia's cricketing history and a fitting tribute to Barbara's legacy to women's sport."
Barbara Rae's great granddaughter Diane Robertson said she was delighted to see Barbara honoured in this way.
"It has been such a thrill to see our great grandmother's contribution recognised for what has now become an established and vibrant sport. Barbara set a wonderful example for women and girls in sport," Ms Robertson said.
Last year's Easter Festival marked the 150th anniversary of Australia's first women match with a commemorative celebration at the Queen Elizabeth Oval and a representative T20 match between Bendigo and Ballarat. The anniversary event was supported by the City, the Bendigo Easter Fair Society, the Bendigo Historical Society, the Bendigo District Cricket Association and Cricket Victoria.
The Bendigo Historical Society held its inaugural exhibition, Frisky Matrons & Forward Spinsters to honour Barbara and women's cricket in the region. The City's Heritage Collections Officer Simone Ewenson curated the stunning exhibition.
Bendigo Easter Fair Society President Simon Mulqueen said the statue was a wonderful celebration of women's cricket which began at the Bendigo Easter Fair in 1874.
"The Bendigo Easter Fair Society is extremely proud and excited about the Barbara Rae statue which represents the women who played the first game during the Bendigo Easter Fair in 1874. It was not easy for women to play the game that they loved as there was a lot of adversity. This is a wonderful acknowledgment," Mr Mulqueen said.
Bendigo Historical Society President Euan McGillivray said it was important for Greater Bendigo.
"The Bendigo Historical Society is thrilled with the news. It's a wonderful way to mark this moment in our history and pay tribute to Barbara Rae with a permanent statue," Mr McGillivray said.
