{"id":110455,"date":"2025-10-10T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/ballinatimes\/?p=110455"},"modified":"2025-10-08T17:13:51","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T06:13:51","slug":"grit-hats-and-heritage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/ballinatimes\/news\/grit-hats-and-heritage\/","title":{"rendered":"Grit, hats and heritage"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE story of Akubra\u2019s newest store in Byron Bay began a long way from the coast.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1876, English-born hat maker Benjamin Dunkerley set up shop in Tasmania and began refining a way to turn rabbit fur into felt.<\/p>\n

It was hard, dirty work, but his invention changed Australian hat-making and gave rise to a name that would outlast wars, droughts and fashion fads.<\/p>\n

Nearly 150 years later, each hat still passes through more than 60 pairs of hands. It remains a company defined by craft, stubbornness and pride.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Adelaide Hills stockman Liam wears his Rough Rider Akubra. Photo: SUPPLIED.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Peter Fowler, Akubra\u2019s chief commercial officer, says that kind of endurance is rare.<\/p>\n

\u201cAkubra is the people\u2019s brand,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt lives in storytelling more than any other brand I\u2019ve worked with. Everyone has a story about their Akubra.\u201d<\/p>\n

For many Australians, that story begins on a trip, a farm, or under the hot Aussie sun somewhere in the dust.<\/p>\n

Fowler says that\u2019s what drew him to Akubra, not just the craft but the people who live in the hats and make them part of their story.<\/p>\n

\"\"
A rider and his horse capture the spirit of life on the land. Photo: SUPPLIED.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt becomes about the people who wear it rather than the product itself,\u201d he said. \u201cThat was super appealing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every hat, he said, carries a story of work, travel and place, and that connection between people and product is what keeps the brand alive.<\/p>\n

Today, Akubra\u2019s story is told by many hands and faces, from stockmen and rodeo riders to photographers, musicians and city dwellers who carry the hat\u2019s spirit in their own way.<\/p>\n

That mix of people, Fowler said, is exactly what makes Byron Bay the right fit.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Country music legend Lee Kernaghan wears The Outback Club Hat, named after his hit song and now re-released as part of Akubra’s Legends Series. Photo: SUPPLIED.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cByron has this fascinating bush-to-beach character,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s tropical coastline right next to the hinterland. Our product has gone on that journey for decades, but the brand has never really talked about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The company already runs stores in Sydney, Brisbane, Noosa and at its Kempsey workshop, but Byron marks a different direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are generally looking for a hat when they\u2019re on an adventure,\u201d Fowler said.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Peter Fowler wears many hats in his role as Akubra\u2019s chief commercial officer. Photo: SUPPLIED<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat adventure could be every day, whether you\u2019re a farmer in the hinterland or driving through on holiday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kempsey, on the New South Wales mid-north coast, remains Akubra\u2019s production base.<\/p>\n

The workshop there has been operating since 1974.<\/p>\n

Rabbit fur arrives in bales and is turned into felt through more than 160 separate steps, cleaned, pressed, shaped and finished by hand.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Melbourne photographer Ivana Martyn-Zyznikow represents a new generation of Akubra wearers. Photo: SUPPLIED.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt really hasn\u2019t changed much in 150 years,\u201d Fowler said. \u201cThat\u2019s the kind of product you\u2019re buying.\u201d<\/p>\n

He calls grit and tenacity the words that best describe Akubra\u2019s spirit.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still doing it the same way we did 150 years ago,\u201d he said. \u201cThat single focus on great products has been what\u2019s allowed Akubra to continue successfully.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the heart of the business are the company\u2019s Master Hatters, specialists who oversee every stage of production, many of whom have spent decades learning the craft.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Lined up behind the chutes at the Mount Isa Rodeo, cowboys Lleyton Browne, Bryn Francis, Kelsey Pavlou, Jed Farrington and Jake Curr wait for their turn in the arena, a moment of calm before the dust and chaos of Australia\u2019s biggest outback rodeo. Photo: SUPPLIED.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Among them are members of the Keir family, who ran the company for five generations before its 2023 sale to Andrew and Nicola Forrest\u2019s private investment group Tattarang.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes deep knowledge, but a hell of a lot of passion,\u201d Fowler said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Keir family still works in the business. They\u2019re passing down generational knowledge not only of the brand but of the craftsmanship behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stephen Keir now heads production in Kempsey, while his sister Laura Keir manages learning and development.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re still in it every day,\u201d Fowler said.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Bull rider Kelsey Pavlou at the Mount Isa Rodeo. Photo: SUPPLIED<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cTheir dad passed the business to the new team, but the family still work in the company. So if we\u2019re ever talking about the history of a hat or a band, we\u2019ve got a direct line to the people who created them.<\/p>\n

That continuity, from nineteenth century workshop to modern retail, is part of what makes it unique.<\/p>\n

Fowler, who trained in industrial design, said seeing the process firsthand was \u201cjaw-dropping\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou realise how unchanged it all is,\u201d he said. \u201cWe literally start from fur and end up with something that can last a lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Brumby hat, crafted to mark 30 years of The Man from Snowy River Bush Festival. Photo: SUPPLIED.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

That sense of history extends to the company\u2019s Kempsey shopfront, which sits next to the workshop and still draws travellers on their coastal drives.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not an overly ornate store, it\u2019s pretty grassroots,\u201d Fowler said. \u201cBut that\u2019s what people love about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s close to the Slim Dusty Museum, so you get families stopping in, picking up a hat, and continuing on their way. It\u2019s part of the adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n

That same spirit carried into the Byron Bay design brief.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Akubra-clad jackaroos on the rails at the Mount Isa Rodeo take in the dust, bulls and bravado of Australia\u2019s biggest outback rodeo. Photo: SUPPLIED<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tucked on the corner of Marvel and Jonson streets near Bayleaf Caf\u00e9 and the Mez Club, the new store is a study in coastal restraint.<\/p>\n

Inside, the walls are painted a deep kelp green inspired by ocean kelp, the counter is wrapped in cowhide, and two pendant lamps by local designer Coco Reynolds hang over the space.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted it to feel modern and unassuming,\u201d Fowler said. \u201cSomewhere you can walk in barefoot. It\u2019s no fuss, but rich in texture.\u201d<\/p>\n

The colour palette was designed to connect to its environment, the ocean, the bush, and the clay earth beyond the town.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s dashes of country in there,\u201d Fowler said. \u201cIt\u2019s literal, but it\u2019s subtle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Felt hat bodies stacked at Dunkerley Hat Mills in Waterloo, New South Wales. Photo: SUPPLIED.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Staff are trained to shape and steam hats on site, a throwback to how hats were once personalised for stockmen and shearers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve hired people who have a natural affinity for the product,\u201d Fowler said. \u201cIt\u2019s about play. Ask questions, try them on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Behind the counter in Byron hangs a photograph of rodeo rider Jed, shot at the Mount Isa Rodeo, feather tucked in his brim and dust on his shirt.<\/p>\n

Fowler said the Byron location was chosen deliberately, just outside the busiest retail zone, so the team could take their time with customers.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Master hatter Tommy Parker outside Akubra’s new Byron Bay store. Photo: DAVID COPE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to slow the retail game down,\u201d he said. \u201cServe people properly. We wanted the store to feel like it could have been here for ten years already.\u201d<\/p>\n

Future plans include local collaborations and small touring activations around the Northern Rivers.<\/p>\n

The team also hopes to host events and demonstrations, giving visitors a closer look at how each hat is made and shaped.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want people to have fun, hang around, play a bit,\u201d Fowler said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what matters, a genuine, meaningful connection. A lot of brands have to manufacture their stories, ours is real.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THE story of Akubra\u2019s newest store in Byron Bay began a long way from the coast. In 1876, English-born hat maker Benjamin Dunkerley set up shop in Tasmania and began refining a way to turn rabbit fur into felt. It was hard, dirty work, but his invention changed Australian hat-making and gave rise to a […]<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":178,"featured_media":110456,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-110455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGrit, hats and heritage - Ballina Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Akubra\u2019s new Byron Bay store blends heritage craftsmanship with coastal vibes, offering hand-shaped hats rooted in Aussie tradition.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/ballinatimes\/news\/grit-hats-and-heritage\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Grit, hats and heritage - 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