Aussie Hats; more than just a slouch hat

This officer of the Victorian Artillery is wearing the latest thing in 1890 military fashion.		Corporal W Raymond, a veteran of the Crimea, wears his Victorian Artillery uniform hat with pride. Note the badge on the front. circa 1870
1873 and the NSW Volunteer Artillery are wearing these Busby style hats.		The South Australian Volunteers wore these stylish hats in 1868
Head-dress of the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles 1900		Melbourne, Vic. c. 1890. Portrait of Gunner (Gnr) (later Bombardier) Edward Charles Bradshaw, Victoria Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery (RAA).
WW1 Giggle hat. Was this the fore-runner to the 'bush hat' that is claimed as a British invention from the Malaya era? <<Images from Grants Militaria>>		WW1 flying helmet as used by the AFC
In the late 1800s Light Horse units took to wearing feathers behind the badge on the turn up of their slouch hats. Some used black cock's feathers, Queensland units used emu feathers which later became the standard.		Some officers in WW1 wore this style of soft crown peaked cap (photo. Symons VC)
Sun or Pith helmet. These are made from a cork 'pith'. It is a light helmet covered in a Khaki cloth. The sweat band is leather with adequate ventilation. The helmet is also supplied with a leather chin strap. Note the Rising Sun badge and Australian puggaree. WW1 issue.	<<Images from Grants Militaria^^	Australian made side cap, or field cap. Issued to militia units pre-war and worn during WW1by some Australian units, especially AFC. Made of fine wool with a leather chinstrap. Could be worn under tin helmets. Side, back and front 'curtains' could be lowered for warmth. Officers and ORs wore them.
Drivers tan leather peaked cap : Motor Transport, Australian Army c 1914-1919		This handsome young devil is on parade in 1940 with the 5th Victorian Scottish Regiment.
In WW1 all early members of the AIF were issued with this style of peaked cap. It was a different design to the Officers version and was initially popular because it looked British. After the disappointments of Gallipoli it lost favor. The upper photo shows the removable sun-shade. <<Image from Grants Militaria		This Digger is wearing his ORs peaked cap (see left) but is wearing an un-authorised NSW Lancers badge.
		When the bullets started to fly in WW1 and WW2 the troops wore the British designed steel helmet or "'tin hat" Details at bottom of page
With hundreds of thousands of men to kit out for the defence of Australia in WW2 the Army came up with a low cost, easily made cloth beret that suited jungle warfare.		During WW2 the slouch hat was used as work dress and its wide brim and soft floppy construction suited jungle warfare
Different Corps wear different coloured berets. The SAS Regiment wears a sandy coloured one. RAAC wear a close fitting black beret. 3RAR wear parachute red. (photo. Simpson VC)		Some of the men of the AATTV who worked with US Special Forces and other special units in Viet Nam wore the berets of those units. (photo. Payne VC)
A Tam O'Shanter with 5RVR badge worn by a Trooper serving in SVN with 1 APC Squadron, RAAC		The close fitting scarlet beret of the Royal Australian Corps of Military Police (RACMP)
The troops on duty as UN peace-keepers wear the distinctive light blue UN beret.		Australians working on a UN assignment will sometimes wear the UN blue helmet.
The blue beret of the Army Aviation Corps		Black, close fitting beret of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC)
This soldier wears the standard issue beret worn post WW2 by recruits and drivers and others in non ceremonial winter dress.		Standard issue peaked cap as worn by Officers and Warrant Officers. Style basically unchanged since WW1. (photo. Badcoe VC)
In SVN the need for a soft floppy work hat saw the resurrection of the British designed bush hat as previously used in Malaya and Borneo		Bandsmen still wear the Sun Helmet style of head-dress
The current issue bush hat is in what is called DPCU, which stands for Disruptive Pattern Camouflage Uniform		The Kepi Cap is worn only by members of units which operate armoured vehicles and by personnel posted to Regional Forces Surveillance Units. Note the back of neck cover.
Senior officer's parade blue peaked cap. Note the red band. Note the gold braid that led to the senior officers being called 'the brass hats' which gets shortened to 'the brass'.		This 3 RAR soldier wears the Scottish dress headwear, a Glengarry. Note the large silver RAR Hat Badge (normally much smaller and made of brass or gilt)