Cabbage Palm Hats, also known as Cabbage Tree Hats, were worn in Australia around the 1800’s and were made by the early convicts. They were narrow brimmed and light to wear, protecting the convicts during the day from the harsh rays of the Australian sun.
Most of the plaiting done by these early settlers would take place late at night. The leaves were taken from Australian Cabbage Tree, a tree that had various uses during the days of colonisation.
Below is a brief explanation how Cabbage Palm Hats are made:
1- The shoots are picked and placed in boiling water
2- Once each shoot is dried, its split into sections. These sections were then bundled and placed under the arm ready to be used for plaiting
3- Once plaited the strips are flatted before being sewed together to make a hat
Hello Emilia Rossi!
Can you help me please? I’m publishing the 1st of a five book historical fiction series titled Queensland Saga. The main character, Garrick Lane, at age 19 is banished from England to Moreton Bay for an alleged misdemeanour. His head and shoulders will feature on the front cover wearing a cabbage tree hat. Could you help me find a suitable hat, please? He works as a Darling Downs jackaroo then drives cattle north intersecting gold fields on the way.
Hi John, Thanks for reaching out and congrats on publishing your historical fiction series! Unfortunately, I won’t be able to help as I personally wouldn’t have a clue where to source a suitable hat as this post was more of an informative post. Good luck and let me know if you do end up finding a suitable hat 🙂
Dear John, I teach people to make cabbage tree hats. If you’d like more information, contact me on donandsuebrian@gmail.com.