Graeme Wood (cricketer)
A gritty Australian opener who faced down the fiercest fast bowlers of his era to score nine hard-earned Test centuries.
Born 1956 (age 70)·Australian cricketer·Birthday: November 6·Baby Boomers
Biography
Graeme Wood walked out to bat in the late 1970s and 80s, a period defined by some of the most fearsome fast bowling attacks in cricket history. The West Indian pace batteries were at their peak, and Wood, a left-handed opener from Western Australia, made his name by standing firm. He wasn't the most elegant, but he was dogged and courageous, accumulating over 4,000 Test runs with a technique built on resolve. His nine Test centuries were a record for a Western Australian batsman for years, a testament to his consistency at the top level. Wood also formed a prolific opening partnership with fellow Australian Andrew Hilditch. His career, spanning 59 Tests, is remembered for its substance over style, embodying the tough, no-frills attitude of his era.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Graeme was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Graeme Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Graeme's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Scored nine Test centuries for Australia, a Western Australian record that stood for over a decade.
- Accumulated 4,074 runs in 59 Test matches as a dependable opening batsman.
- Played 83 One Day Internationals for Australia, including the 1983 World Cup.
- Formed a successful and durable opening batting partnership with Andrew Hilditch for Australia.
Did You Know?
He was nicknamed 'Stumpy' during his playing days.
His record of nine Test centuries for Western Australia was eventually surpassed by Justin Langer.
He made his Test debut against India in 1978 and scored a half-century in his first innings.
“You don't back down from the short ball; you wear it and get on with it.”
