Historical information

This sailor's collar is part of a naval uniform. It once belonged to R S Wallace, who served in the RAN (Royal Australian Navy) and on the HMAS Warrnambool for three years. After the war he made several ship models including the sailing ship Cutty Sark.

From January 1857 the Australian Navy uniform was formally established. The uniform, referred to as a 'sailor's suit', includes a blue flap collar such as this one.

Sailors in the Royal Australian Navy wore collars of this design from the early 20th century. The rating personnel of the Royal Canadian Navy were issued with a very similar collar from 1910 to the 1950s. The blue denim collars were buttoned or died inside their tops with the back and the striped portion of the front flaps showing.

Significance

The square sailor's collar represents the uniform of a rating sailor in the Royal Australian Navy in the early to mid-20th century, connecting it to the maritime history of Australia and the evolution of the uniform of the navy.
The collar is the only one in this museum's collection and is connected to a sailor who service in the RAN on the HMAS Warrnambool for three years.

Physical description

Sailor's collar. A square collar of blue cotton fabric with three flaps or strips. Three white stripes make a border on the outside edges and two flaps; the centre flap that has no stripes. There is an inscription. The underside is lined with white cotton fabric that has thin blue stripes. Tapes are attached for fastening the collar. The Royal Australian Navy collar once belonged to R S Wallace.

Inscriptions & markings

"R.S. Wallace"