| Kookaburra Sport Pty Ltd | |
| Type: | Private |
| Area Served: | Worldwide |
| Founder: | Alfred Grace Thompson |
| Location: | Moorabbin, Melbourne, Australia |
Kookaburra Sport Pty Ltd (or simply Kookaburra) is an Australian sports equipment and apparel company based in Melbourne, Australia. The company was founded in 1890 and specializes in manufacturing various equipment used for Australian rules football, cricket, and field hockey. The company is named after the Australian bird Kookaburra. The company manufactures the white ball used in all One-day international matches and the red ball used in Test cricket in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe.
The company was founded in 1890 by Alfred Grace Thompson, a migrant harness and saddle maker from United Kingdom. Thompson migrated from Scotland and started manufacturing cricket balls when his livelihood was threatened by the reduction in demand for horse carriages due to the advent of the motor car.[1] The company was founded in Brighton before moving to its current location in Moorabbin on the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia. In the mid-1980s, the company diversified into manufacturing the full range of cricket bats, clothing, footwear and protective equipment.[2]
The company manufactures Clothing and equipment including bats, balls, stumps, and other equipment.[3] The company manufactures the white ball used in all One-day internationals matches, and the pink and red balls used in Test cricket in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe.[4] The ball is machine-stitched with the seam fading quickly and the thin seam makes it difficult for finger spinners to grip the ball.[5] The company also produces a range of cricket equipment, such as bats, helmets, pads, gloves, and others. The Kookaburra bats are known for being some of the best worldwide and are often used by Australian greats such as Glenn Maxwell, Brett Lee, Tim Paine, and Marnus Labuschagne
Kookaburra hockey balls have been used in all Olympic Games since 1956 and world cup matches since 1984. The company also manufactures sticks and balls for Australian rules football.[6]