Having worn a military uniform myself, I'm very interested in the way in which they distinguish the different services, establish authority, unify employees across a variety of industries as well as identify schools and sports teams alike.

Badge, Boot, Button - The Story of Australian Uniforms provides a detailed and well-researched overview of how Australian uniforms have changed and evolved over time. Written by Australian historian Craig Wilcox and covering uniforms from 1788 to the present, there's something to capture the interest of any reader.

I enjoyed reading about the red shoulder capes (called a tippet) worn by nurses and was fascinated to learn that nurses could spend an hour a day ironing and starching their uniforms. Only those working the night shift were given a reprieve, because the starched uniforms were too noisy and could wake the patients.

The history of the iconic slouch hat is included, as is the baggie green hat beloved by cricket fans and players. The evolution of the AFL uniform is covered and despite not being interested in football, I found it interesting nonetheless. I enjoyed the section on the Sydney Olympic volunteer uniform and the ever increasing competition in some corporate sectors.

Relevant snippets from newspaper articles were incorporated into the text and gave a real insight into how these uniforms were received by the public - or at least the media - at the time. There's a distinct focus on military uniforms, although that's not terribly surprising given Wilcox worked at the Australian War Memorial.

If you have any questions for Craig Wilcox about any kind of Australian uniform visit my blog and let me know as I'll be interviewing him this month: http://www.carpelibrum.net/2017/05/review-badge-boot-button-story-of.html

* Copy courtesy of NLA Publishing * ( )