- Akubra
Akubra is an
Australia n brand ofhat , whose wide-brimmed styles are a distinctive part of Australian culture, especially in rural areas. The name is believed to be derived from anIndigenous Australian word for head covering. [cite book
last=Bowen |first=Jill |title=The Akubra Hat |year=1988
publisher=Weldon Publishing |location=Sydney , NSW |isbn=0-947116-52-4]Akubra's best-known products are made from rabbit fur with wide brims, and the term "Akubra" is often used to refer to a hat of this kind.
History
The original hat-making
factory , not called Akubra at that time, was founded in the early 1870s by Benjamin Dunkerley. A recent immigrant to Australia, Dunkerley set up shop inTasmania after inventing amachine that removed the hair tip fromrabbit fur , leaving the softer under-fur for use in the making offelt hats.Dunkerley and his family later relocated to
Sydney , inNew South Wales , where he hired a young man named Stephen Keir. While working for Dunkerley Hat Mills, Keir married Ada Dunkerley, Benjamin's daughter. After Benjamin Dunkerley's death in 1918, Stephen Keir took over the reins of the company, moving to a larger premises and adopting Akubra as a brand name.Akubra is famous for providing many of the
Slouch hat s used by Australian forces in both World War One and Two. In the 1950s, the Akubra company expanded its range when it won the licence to produceStetson hats in Australia, and by the 1970s, the business relocated from Sydney to larger premises inKempsey, New South Wales . Steven Keir's sons Herbert and Stephen Keir II later ran the company, followed in turn by Stephen Keir III and now Stephen Keir IV. The company is still a family concern. Its current owners are the great, great-grandchildren of Benjamin Dunkerley.tage musical
Cast members and 'crack riders' (expert riders), in the musical "", wore Akubra hats. [ — Theatre Programme and DVD credits]
References
External links
* [http://www.akubra.com.au/ Akubra website]
* [http://www.australiana.de/akubra/akubra_hats.htm Akubra hats in Germany]
* [http://akubra-usa.com/ak_akubra_dealers.html Akubra hats in The United States and Canada]
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