Cabbage-tree hat
First distinctively Australian headwear, woven from cabbage-tree palm leaves.
The cabbage-tree hat, also called the cabbage palm hat, was woven from the leaves of the *Livistona australis* palm. It is considered the first type of headwear unique to Australia.
Early European settlers began weaving hats from the fronds of this native palm, rather than using straw, to shield themselves from the sun. The hat quickly gained popularity across the colonies, initially among bushmen and later among city dwellers. In 1868, a hat made by Thomas Reynolds was given to Prince Alfred, Queen Victoria’s second son, during the first royal visit to Australia. These hats were mostly produced in one of Australia’s first cottage industries, often by families—especially women and children—and later by large manufacturers. Convicts and invalids also made them to sell. The hat was especially common among coachmen, stockmen, bullock drivers, squatters, and farmers. It eventually fell out of fashion, replaced by the felt hat.
To make the hat, the palm leaves were boiled, dried, bleached, and shaken open. Each leaf was split into strands using a handheld tool, then plaited into longer strips called sinnet. The sinnet was wound into shape from the center of the crown, stitched at every corner, blocked, lined, and ironed. A velvet band or ribbon, a leather chin strap, and a button were added for decoration. The Powerhouse Museum describes one as a finely woven natural straw-colored hat with a high, tapering domed crown and a wide, flat brim, with an applied layered hat band of coarser plaiting with zigzag border edges. A well-made hat was said to last many years and was lightweight. The fibers swelled and closed the plaits when wet, and let air circulate when dry. The hat held its shape under rough use, remained springy, and dried quickly in the sun.
During the convict era, gangs of insolent youths known as “cabbage tree mobs” wore these hats. They enjoyed crushing the hats of men they considered too self-important. These mobs are seen as a forerunner of the larrikin.
The hat appears in many Australian records. David Collins’s *An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales* (1802) mentions it. The *Historical Records of Victoria* (2005) notes that police troopers in the bush wore wide-brimmed cabbage tree hats with their patrol jackets. Edward Micklethwaite Curr’s *Recollections of Squatting in Victoria* describes squatters wearing cabbage tree hats with
- type
- Headwear
- material
- Leaves of Livistona australis (cabbage-tree palm)
- origin
- Australia
- period
- 19th century
- known_for
- First distinctively Australian headwear; worn by bushmen, city folk, and gold diggers
- associated_with
- Early European settlers, convicts, coachmen, stockmen, squatters, farmers
Lore & Background
Early European settlers, seeking protection from the sun, began weaving hats from the fronds of the native cabbage-tree palm instead of straw. The hat quickly became popular throughout the colonies, first among bushmen and later with city folk. In 1868, a cabbage tree hat made by Thomas Reynolds was presented to Prince Alfred, the second eldest son of Queen Victoria, during the first Royal visit to Australia. The hats were predominantly made in one of Australia's first cottage industries, by families—particularly women and children—and later by large manufacturers; they were also made by convicts and the invalid to sell. The hat was most popular with coachmen, stockmen, bullockys, squatters, and farmers, but gradually fell out of fashion, replaced by the felt hat.
Reader's Guide
The cabbage-tree hat holds significance as the first distinctively Australian headwear, symbolizing early colonial adaptation to the harsh sun. Its production formed one of Australia's first cottage industries, involving families, convicts, and the invalid. The hat was lightweight, durable, and practical: the fibre swelled and closed the plaits when wet, let air circulate when dry, and dried quickly in the sun. It was associated with the 'Old Digger' fashion of moleskin trousers, red shirt, and cabbage tree hat, linked to early Australian gold diggers. During the convict era, gangs of insolent youths known as 'cabbage tree mobs' wore these hats and crushed the hats of men deemed too 'full of themselves,' recognized as a predecessor of the larrikin. The hat appears in numerous historical documents, including accounts by David Collins, Edward Micklethwaite Curr, and Margaret Kiddle, and has been referenced in 20th-century cultural works such as the musical 'Collits' Inn' and the British television play 'The Cabbage Tree Hat Boys.'
Did You Know?
- A cabbage tree hat made by Thomas Reynolds was presented to Prince Alfred in 1868 during the first Royal visit to Australia.
- During the convict era, gangs called 'cabbage tree mobs' wore these hats and crushed the hats of men deemed too 'full of themselves.'
- The hat was associated with the 'Old Digger' fashion of moleskin trousers, red shirt, and cabbage tree hat.
- A well-made cabbage tree hat was lightweight, held its shape with rough usage, and dried quickly in the sun.
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