Key Rings

Cherish Your Heritage

The Australian Slouch Hat has a long and proud tradition

Colonel Tom Price designed the original hat in 1885 for use by the Victorian Mounted Rifles. A graduate of Royal Military College in the U.K., Colonel Price had returned to his birth place of Australia after extensive service in India where a similar bush hat, the Terai hat, had been worn by hunters and later adopted by the British Army.

It was originally worn with the right side turned up to enable a soldier to shoulder the cumbersome rifles of the day. This also allowed him to look the inspecting officer in the eyes. In 1890 when the hat was officially accepted, there was an unanimous agreement that a looped up hat of universal pattern be worn by all diggers. By this time it was looped up on the left side.

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Many embellishments were added by all and sundry, for flair and style. These included cocks' plumes, emu feathers, puggarees (bands) chin-straps and badges. General orders in 1903 provided set standards.

With the weapons of today, there is no longer a requirement to have the brim turned up at all and is turned down in general dress.

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An Aussie Digger
proudly wearing his AKUBRA

Since 1919 Australians have worn, lived, loved and died in their Akubras. These were the slouch hats that Aussie diggers wore through two world wars. They were the hats the rest of them took off in remembrance of those who didn't come back. They raised them to King and country and tossed them in the air when Bradman demolished the English at cricket.
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However, with a tradition well established over many years, a formal uniform for walking out or ceremony has the brim burned up and held with the Rising Sun badge. The Corps Identity badge is worn at the front.

During wartime, Australian soldiers have made various pieces of jewellery using the current coinage of the day, including slouch hats from pennies. Being highly illegal to deface coins of the realm, the attitude was "Well, arrest me!" Today the penny is out of circulation and therefore no offence is committed.

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