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True Croads in AUS or the UK are categorized as brown eggs because of the impermanence of the purple bloom coating. As noted above, just about everything can wash or rub off the bloom, leaving a plain brown egg.
Considering how rare they are here in the States, it's very unlikely the OP's hen has any of "Croad" blood in it. However, it's very very possible that her hen just has bonus bloom - as do a lot of other hens of many breeds. I just tried to hatch out some Delawares that had a heavy bloom coating, making them appear purplish. It's common in some Marans, and Welsummers as well. There's pictures all over this forum of people's "purple" eggs, from just about every breed possible, (although usually brown).
It's a very cool thing, and the OP's got herself a special hen. If I were her, I'd be trying to propagate that feature - mating with anything that would improve the purple shading, keeping in mind though, that it's nigh impossible to alter the actual color of the egg (either the calcium carbonate shell (which is white or blue only), or the outer pigmentation layers of brown eggs).
Congrats on your special girl - a lucky find indeed!
