Cork hat
{{short description|Hat with corks strung from the brim}}
{{about|a hat with pieces of cork attached|the hat made from cork|Pith helmet}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
A cork hat is a type of headgear with corks strung from the brim, to ward off insects.{{cite book|last1=Parry|first1=Tom|title=Thumbs Up Australia: Hitchhiking the Outback|date=2006|publisher=Nicholas Brealey Pub.|location=London|isbn=1-85788-461-2|page=74|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cb4UckIH4ngC&q=australian%20%22cork%20hat%22&pg=PA74}}
Pieces of cork, typically bottle corks, are hung on strings from the brim of the hat. The low density of cork means a number of pieces may hang from a hat without significantly increasing its weight. Movement of the head causes the corks to swing, discouraging insects, particularly bush flies, from swarming around the wearer's head, or entering the nose or mouth. The shape and material of cork hats varies but, typically, they are similar to a slouch hat.
Believed by some to have been worn by jackaroos and swagmen in the bush-fly-infested Australian outback,Kim Griggs, [https://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,37603,00.html Hats Off to Blowfly Researchers], Wired News, 19 July 2000, retrieved 17 February 2007 the cork hat has become part of the stereotypical, almost mythical, representation of the Australian ocker, particularly in the United Kingdom. Cork hats are a common purchase as a souvenir for tourists in Australia.