Australian Boy Scout Uniforms: 1960s-1977

Figure 1.--This patrol is working on a publication. The boys wear the moss green uniform of the period.

Australian Scout uniforms until 1977 had distinctive styles for the various levels of Scouting as is common in most countries. The Cub uniforms varied quite a bit, but the Scouts wore a moss-green colored uniform. The official Australian Scout uniforms until 1977 were:

Joey Scouts

Joeys have no official uniform other than a scarf worn with the Joey Scout woggle.

Cub Scouts

The Cub niform was made flexible so boys could use short pants that they might wear at school instead of having to buy a pair just for Cubs. This helped reduce the cost of the uniform.

The standard Cub uniform was:
Scarf: Of the Group colour, worn with a woggle (other than Gilwell).
Jersey: A jersey means sweater. It was green, worn with sleeves down or rolled up, at the discretion of the Cub Leader.
Shorts: Dark blue, or grey or other colour at the discretion of the Cub Leader provided the whole pack wears shorts of the same colour.
Stockings: Any plain colour, worn turned down below the knee.
Shoes: brown or black.

Figure 2.--Camping continues to be a primary interest of Australian Scouts and the uniform needs to be rugged enough for strenous outdoor activity. Notice the traditional "Lemon squeezer" hats.

The alternative Cub uniform was: At the discretion of the Cub Leader and providing all members of the Pack wear the same, as an alternative to the jersey, a dark green shirt with short sleeves, one patch pocket with no flap on the left breast. The shirt will be worn tucked inside the shorts with the Scout belt.

Scouts

The Scout uniform, unlike the Cub uniform, was standardized throughout Australia. The Australian Scout uniform consisted of a "sage green"short-sleeved shirt with a collar, worn with "moss green" trousers or shorts. The kneesocks were a matching light-green color with two dark green bands at the top. The bands continue a style emoloyed early on in English Scout uniforms and reflected the tendency of British and Australian schools to have kneesocks trimed at the top with the school colors.

All scouts wear scarves with a wide variety of woggles (except for leaders who all wear the leather turks-head once they earn it.) Each group in Western Australia (W.A.) has its own distinctive group scarf; however in some other states all groups wear the state scarf. All sections wear a brown leather belt (white for sea scouts) with a two piece buckle that shows the scout emblem and "Be Prepared".

Australian Scouts continued to wear the traditinal "lemom-squeezer" (Smokey the Bear) hat.

Figure 3.--First aid and lifesaving is another important activity promoted by the Scouts.

Sea and Air Scouts

Sea scouts wear the same style, but all in navy blue. According to the "Policy and Rules" book, Air Scouts wear a grey shirt with navy blue pants; the only Air Scout group I have encountered, however, wears the same uniform as land scouts with the addition of an Air Scouts badge on the flap of the left pocket. The Sea Scout hat is navy blue with a white leather band.