The Stackhat

The Stackhat was a bicycle helmet widely available in Australia in the 1980s. Due to government regulations and promotion by various State governments, the sturdy bright orange Stackhat had a near monopoly on bicycle helmets in the country for teenagers and children. It's distinctive design, bright orange colour, ubiquitous ownership in the 1980s, and fast disappearance in the 1990s, have combined to make "The Stackhat" a defining symbol of the 1980s for Australians.

Background

Australia was the first country to introduce national standards for bicycle helmet safety. [http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=69132] The Stackhat was one of the first helmets to meet that proposed standard and was promoted heavily by State governments. An imaginative and colourful television campaign featuring Molly Meldrum riding through an early computer-generated model of the Sydney Harbour Bridge also cemented the helmet in popular imagination.

Appearance

The sturdy Stackhat was designed to emphasise safety over streamlined. It's appearance was more like something a crash-test dummy would wear than an elite cyclist. This aesthetic was a selling point for the various governments promoting the device to safety-concious parents.

The helmet was initially only available in orange but after several years other colours, including black, white and pink became available.

Naming

The Stackhat derives its name from the verb "to stack", which basically means "to crash".