We are pleased to offer four hats, the Banjo Paterson, the Lightning Ridge, The Overlander and Lawson, from Akubra's Heritage Collection.

The Heritage Collection presents a line of premium quality hats developed by Akubra. The felt in these hats is made from a select blend of specially graded furs of rabbit and hare which permit a longer and more arduous shrinking process. This process develops 25% more shrinkage, producing a denser and stronger felt, which in turn provides the basis for a superb pounced finish. The roan leather for the sweatbands is tanned from selected sheepskins, for an exceptional quality. The bands themselves are cut wider than normal to ensure the greatest comfort. The Heritage Collection hats are in all ways premium hats in the Akubra tradition, superb long lasting felt with outstanding leather sweatbands.

Banjo Paterson
A.B. 'Banjo' Paterson, born in 1864, spent his boyhood years in the Australian countryside near Yass. Although he began training as a solicitor, he turned to journalism and was a correspondent in the Boer war. His verse was first published in The Bulletin — Australia's most widely read and influential journal of politics and literature — in 1889. His best known ballad is The Man from Snowy River. Although there is now some dispute, it is generally believed that Banjo Paterson wrote Waltzing Matilda in about 1895. Paterson's bush ballads capture the essence of Australian outback life.

Banjo Paterson Hat

Lightning Ridge
The Lightning Ridge opal fields are in northern New South Wales. The fields were discovered about 1895, and are still among the most productive opal fields in Australia. They are noted for the unusual black opal found there. The name was given to the area after a drover, sheltering his sheep from a storm under a ridge, was struck by lightning and killed, together with his dog and 600 sheep.

Lightning Ridge Hat

The Overlanders
The Overlanders were the Australian cattle drovers who handled the long distance movement of cattle. In the early 1800’s they opened up new areas of the outback, often unexplored, to cattle raising. In the 1850’s they made fortunes supplying cattle to the mining towns of the Australian gold rush. Later, as cattle properties became established in areas such as the Northern Territory and The Kimberleys in Western Australia, cattle were regularly driven 1,500 miles or more to bring them to market. The Overlanders were a hardy and independent lot, often rough and not mindful of the law. They took their cattle through arid or semi-arid country with uncertain and scanty feed,creating as they did so an heroic history and legend of endurance in the face of harsh conditions.

The Overlander Hat

Henry Lawson
Henry Lawson was born in a goldfields tent in Grenfell, New South Wales, in 1867. His early years were spent in the harsh environment of the Australian bush. He later moved to Sydney, where he took up writing. His short stories of life in the bush, such as The Bush Undertaker, have become classics. He depicted the hard life, filled with grinding poverty, dashed hopes and the overwhelming obstacles met in the marginal farmlands, yet with the dry Australian humor and mutual support that kept the people going. Henry Lawson died in 1922.

Lawson Hat

For more information ...
Please follow the links below for more information about Akubra hats and related items.

Akubra Hats
Hat Sizing
Hat Care
Hat FAQs

Fedoras & Dress Hats
Bashing Your Open Crown Akubra

The Man from Snowy River
Waltzing Matilda

To learn more about Akubra and Akubra hats, we invite you to visit www.akubra.com.au -- Akubra's own website in Australia.

 

Banjo Paterson Hat by Akubra  $255.00  Hat Stretcher  $34.00  Hatter's Brim Brush  $13.00