# Austrailian hats with the brim turned up.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-hats-with-the-brim-turned-up/108300>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 10, 2002, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-hats-with-the-brim-turned-up/108300 "2002-05-10T15:58:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-hats-with-the-brim-turned-up/108300/1 "2002-05-10T15:58:48Z")

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Do people really fold up the brim on their hats. I can’t imagine what purpose this would serve other than a sunburned ear.

Or is this just some sort of tourist identification program? 🙂

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**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-hats-with-the-brim-turned-up/108300/2 "2002-05-10T16:14:56Z")

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You’re thinking of a “slouch” hat I guess. They were the uniform of the Diggers in WWI, so it’s more military than tourist. IIRC they are still worn for parade-type occasions.

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**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-hats-with-the-brim-turned-up/108300/3 "2002-05-10T16:26:56Z")

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I recalled not all that correctly: see [http://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/slouch\_hat.htm](http://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/slouch_hat.htm) and [http://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/slouch\_army.htm](http://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/slouch_army.htm) (the former has a picture)

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**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-hats-with-the-brim-turned-up/108300/4 "2002-05-10T16:28:15Z")

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The brims were turned up so that they would not get in the way of a rifle when carried on the shoulder. I think the proper hats only had one side of the brim turned up, corresponding to the side on which the gun was carried.

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**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrailian-hats-with-the-brim-turned-up/108300/5 "2002-05-10T16:42:35Z")

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All right Rayne Man!

That makes some sence.