D I SCOVER / A WORLD OF INSPIRATION
THE ICON AKUBRA HATS
With a history spanning nearly a century and a half, the quintessentially Australian classic has long graced the heads of celebrities, dignitaries and army folk alike. Words ANNA NEVILLE
I ts wide-brimmed, felted rabbit-fur design is now synonymous with all things ‘country’, but Akubra started out as a ‘city hat’, at a time when everyone wore a hat each time they went outside, including women. Although Akubra became the offi - cial brand in 1912, its family-owned history dates back more than 145 years, when it was founded by Benja- min Dunkerley. Hat maker Stephen Keir (I) joined the business in 1904,
marrying Benjamin’s daughter Ada a year later. It’s been in the Keir family ever since, and now fourth-generation siblings Stacey, Nikki and Stephen (IV) are at the helm of the business run from Kempsey, NSW. There have been many highs over the years, but Stephen says it was pivotal when the company finally secured the tender to make the iconic slouch hats for the Australian mili- tary. “It was a huge moment for the
company,” he tells DARE. “Not only did it mean the national service men and women would be wearing the Akubra slouch hat, but it also meant a standard 25,000 hat order every year, which created a regular and reliable income for the business. It was a big win,” he says. The brand’s heyday came in the 1980s, with cinematic hits like The Man From Snowy River and Phar Lap featuring the hat and further
14
DARE SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2023
Powered by FlippingBook