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Western Australian baseball player John Kelly's state team blazer

Overview

A Western Australian state baseball team blazer and tie belonging to John Kelly. The blazer is made of black woollen material and has two gold-coloured metal buttons on the front. A band of yellow braid is stitched across the top edge of all three pockets and around the lower portion of each sleeve. Embroidered on the breast pocket is the Western Australian baseball insignia in the form of a black swan on a yellow background above two crossed baseball bats and a ball. The word 'Baseball' is embroidered above these and 'Western Australia' is embroidered within an elaborate scroll underneath.

Embroidered in yellow thread round the insignia are the years of John's selection in the Western Australian state team. One year embroidered in green thread indicates when he was selected as an Australian representative.

The Western Australian state team tie is made of black polyester fabric. The design on the tie is of widely-spaced thin, yellow, diagonal stripes, separated by two small yellow shields. On each shield is a yellow swan.

Historical information

John Kelly's first selection in the Western Australian State baseball team was in 1959 in the Claxton Shield Series in Victoria. He received five more consecutive State caps from 1958 to 1964. In 1960 he played in the Claxton Shield Series in Sydney where he was selected in the All-Australian side as a pitcher.

Details

Details

Registration number
cwa-org-100-2020.358
Item type
Inscriptions and markings

[On the blazer pocket - all in yellow thread]
'Baseball'
'Western Australia'
'1959'
'1960'
'1961'
'1962'
'1963'

[In green thread]
'1960'

[Manufacturer's label on the tie]
Antico "Premier"

Contextual Information

John Kelly made a significant and invaluable 30-year contribution to the game of baseball in Western Australia. As a player he competed in State league baseball, the Night Baseball Series, six Western Australian Claxton Shield teams (1959-1964) and All-Australian in 1960. Following his years as a player, he continued his association with the sport as an administrator, team manager and selector, and liaison officer. He donated his Western Australian State blazer and tie to the Baseball WA Museum & Archives.

Statement of significance

A rare example of a Western Australian State baseball team blazer from the 1950s and 1960s, which displays the outstanding career of John Kelly in the sport. It is in very good condition and has excellent provenance.

Primary significance criteria
Artistic or aesthetic significance
Historic significance
Social or spiritual significance
Comparative significance criteria
Object’s condition or completeness
Rare or representative
Well provenanced
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Baseball player John Kelly's West Australian state team blazer and tie
Baseball player John Kelly's West Australian state team blazer and tie (front).
John Kelly's Western Australian state baseball team blazer pocket
John Kelly's Western Australian state baseball team blazer pocket.
Baseball player John Kelly's West Australian state team blazer (back)
Baseball player John Kelly's West Australian state team blazer (back).

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