The Australian Slouch Hat

Slouch Hat Memorial, Bullecourt, France
Dedicated to the Australians Who Fought Nearby in 1917

It’s a brown slouch hat with the side turned up,

And it means the world to me.

It’s the symbol of our Nation — the land of liberty.

WWII song

Slouch hats were first worn by the Victorian Mounted Rifles in 1885. Tasmanian-born soldier Colonel Tom Price introduced a felt slouch hat as part of the uniform for the Victorian Mounted Rifles. His inspiration for the hat came from similar hats worn by the Burmese police.

It was originally worn with the right side looped up to make it easier for marching troops to perform the “eyes right” command in parades, but as more states adopted the slouch hat, it became more common to wear the left side turned up.

World War I Veterans at a Commemoration

Many troops from Australia wore felt slouch hats while serving in the Second South African (Boer) War between 1899 and 1902, and it was universally adopted for the Australian Army after Federation. It was usually worn with a khaki hat band, known as a puggaree, and a Rising Sun badge on the left hand side. During World War I, many troops in the Australian Light Horse decorated their hats with a plume of emu feathers.

After World War II, the hat's suitability was questioned, particularly in tropical climates. However, it had become too iconic to be replaced. Today, similar felt hats are worn by all Australian defense services, but only the Australian Army continues to wear the felt slouch hat, with its distinctively turned-up side.

Sources:  Australian War Museum: Anzac Portal