Australia Pre-Federation Ballarat Rifle Volunteers ( Ballarat Rangers) Officers Pill Box Hat.

An extremely rare piece of pre-Federation Australian military headgear.Fine melton cloth wool body over leather with a black mohair cap band and matching quarter foil to the top. A brown leather sweatband is still attached, red silk lining with gilt screen printed manufactures mark of Chas. Morris , Ballarat , this makers mark alone confirms its unit origin. The cap complete with a thin black leather chinstrap. The overall condition is fairly poor subsequent to obviously age and poor storage. There is a significant amount of moth damage to the reverse, not so visible from the from when on display, but clearly it probably amounts to at least a Quarter of the overall hat. The leather sweatband also about 80%, detached and all the way along the bottom edge of the cap the wall has been eaten away exposing the internal leather.A extremely rare Pre-Fed hat , probably the only one still in existence.The Ballarat Volunteer Rifle Corps or also known as the Ballarat Rangers were a very prominent pre-Federation military force in Victoria.