Bush Hat - Not just For Aussies

The bush hat is considered by many people to be the true Australian hat, more closely regarded as the true symbol of Australia than almost anything else they have. This is very strange considering it got its start with the Austrian Army around the turn of the 19th century, nearly 100 years before it appeared on the first Australian soldier. The modern bush hats are made from a variety of materials, but the one thing that all good Australian bush hats share in common is the ability to be rolled up into a very small package that can be stored in your pocket and then pulled out none the worse for wear.

Of course there is more than one style of bush hat and in the US Army they have a bush hat that they refer to as a boonie hat. This hat resembles the bucket hat far more than it does the Australian bush hat, yet is designed to fulfill the same purpose. That purpose quite simply is to keep the sun out of your eyes and off of the back of your neck, especially when you are a soldier who is in the field fighting a war in the heat of summer. The Aussie bush hat was made more for desert warfare whereas the US boonie hat was made for the jungles of Viet Nam.

The Aussie Versions

There are two different versions of the Australian bush hat depending on what part of history you are looking at and who you are talking to. The original bush hat was more commonly referred to as the slouch hat and vaguely resembled the American cowboy hat. It started out life as the Tyrolean hat worn by the Austrian Army at the end of the French Revolution. The Australian Army began to wear this style of hat at the end of the 19th century and it is still in use today.

During the Second World War they created a new style of bush hats that closely resembles the bucket hats of today rather than the safari hats known as bush hats of yesteryear. These hats were first issued to troops involve in the "Malaysian Emergency" during the 50s and are still considered a standard part of the Australian combat uniform.

The US Version

In the US military the first troops to wear the bush hat or boonie were those involved in the Viet Nam war. Initially these hats were made by local tailors who made them from pieces of combat fatigues or left over tigerstripe camouflage as worn by both the US and Australian armies. After seeing so many troops wearing the US military began to issue them in 1967 and they have remained a part of standard uniform issue ever since.

The bush hat has more uses than just as part of a military uniform; they are the ideal summer hat. Made from a variety of cloths and featuring a wide brim, they keep your head cool while keeping the sun out of your eyes and off your neck. The bush hat is the perfect hat for a variety of outdoor situations from mowing the lawn to sitting on the banks of the river fishing.