Busby : British and colonial forces Accession Number: REL/18399.003

Description

Brown fur busby, probably sable, from an unidentified rifle regiment, measuring 6 inches in height at front and 8 inches high at the back The crown is 6 inches deep and 6 inches wide and is covered with rifle green wool cloth. A plaited silver wire cord runs around the circumference of crown covering the edges of the cloth and the fur. At the centre front an oval black plaited cord cockade measuring 2 1/4 inches in length and 1 1/2 inches wide has been affixed. A nickle plated brass Queen Victoria pattern crown with red velvet fabric inserted in the crown has been affixed to the cockade. Below this lies a nickle plated brass bugle. The chain is of nickle plated brass rings sewn to a strip of brown leather which is in turn stitched along its edges to a brown leather strip. The chin chain is attached to a small nickle hook on the proper right side. There are nickle dome-shaped covers at each end where the chin-chain is secured. On the proper right side towards the crown is a small hook with a lion's head fitting (probably cast from lead) to take the ends of caplines. A black patent leather binding is sewn around the brim. The lining is of a plain brown weave silk in two strips with two casings and drawstrings for adjustment. A lining of woven dark blue woollen fabric lies underneath the silk lining. The plume is of horse hair and is dyed red at the top and rifle green at the bottom and is affixed into a nickle plated brass socket comprised of a ball with a leaf pattern above.

Contextual Description

This busby was previously described as being part of the uniform of a Lieutenant Colonel of the Ballarat Rangers. However, the dress regulations for the Victorian Forces in 1875 describe the busby as being made of black lambskin with a plume of black goat's hair with small scarlet feathers at the bottom with a bronze socket. Photographs from this period show a black lambskin busby being worn by Ballarat Rangers.