Whether they're faded, frayed or stained, every hat tells a story

Five men share the stories behind their beloved hatsSBy Sophie Johnson Link copiedShareShare articleFor many, hats are more than a way to keep the sun off your face. They tell stories and hold memories from far and wide. Five men share the memories stitched into the hats they've worn for years. Laid out across the dim light of Joe Caruana's shed, his hat collection reads like a timeline. Covered in cobwebs, grease stains and patchy holes, each hat is imprinted with memories of a life lived under the north Queensland sun. Joe Caruana's hats reflect a timeline of his life in north Queensland. (ABC Far North: Sophie Johnson) With hats aging back 50 years, they're more than a decoration; the collection is a keepsake. Born and bred on the outskirts of Ingham, Mr Caruana looks at each hat like a photograph. His eyes light up as he reflects on the days shared with his many hats over the years. Joe Caruana stacks his hats together in his shed. (ABC Far North: Sophie Johnson) "It brings back a lot of years, like you say, a lot of memories," he said. Joe Caruana doesn't go anywhere without his hat. (ABC Far North: Sophie Johnson) From catching 130-centimetre barramundi in the Gulf of Carpentaria to many pig-hunting trips, his hats have been there. "I can't go anywhere without a hat. I can go to bed without a hat, that's about it," he said. The old hats have seen many facets of life in north Queensland. (ABC Far North: Sophie Johnson) West of Cairns at Mareeba, a town known for its sunshine, mango grower Joe Moro wears the same hat he's had for nearly 30 years. He has hundreds of hats and caps sitting in his collection, but this one is his favourite — a gift from his late uncle. Despite the sweat marks and discolouration, he still wears it with pride and looks back fondly on the first time he put it on his head. Joe Moro's favourite hat holds a lot of sentimentality. (ABC Far North: Sophie Johnson) "[My uncle] bought it in Sydney for me. I used to visit him a lot. I still did until he passed away," Mr Moro said. "It's endured a number of mango seasons with me in the paddock, and as you can tell, the sweat and everything has left its marks all over it. Joe Moro's hat has endured many mango seasons. (ABC Far North: Sophie Johnson) Further south near Tully, Greg Shannon's prized cap was bought at the first north Queensland Cowboys NRL home game in Townsville. The cap has become so special that it was one of the few things Mr Shannon took with him when he had to evacuate during Tropical Cyclone Yasi in 2011. Greg Shannon's Cowboys cap has a built-in radio. (ABC Far North: Sophie Johnson) "The first home game was March 11, 1995, so we rocked up there to Townsville, and I walked in and bought this cap. I think it was $12.50, and it's a radio cap," he said. "It's got a little aerial that you pop up, which looks like Inspector Gadget, and it's just got a battery and a little tuner, and you could just adjust the volume, and you pick up any station." Greg Shannon has a collection of hats. (ABC Far North: Sophie Johnson) At Angelo Crema's farm in Lower Tully, his wide-brimmed Akubra reminds him of good times at the cattle saleyards. "I used to go to sales on a regular basis with some real good friends who are no longer here," he said. Angelo Crema would wear this hat to the cattle saleyards. (ABC Far North: Sophe Johnson) Some of Mr Crema's hats have travelled well beyond the saleyards. When he used to farm bananas, one of his French backpackers became fascinated with wide-brimmed hats, so Mr Crema gave him one of his old ones lying around in the shed. "He left, and about a month later, he sent me a message and a photo from Nepal of him standing on top of one of those other big mountains with my hat on his head," he said. "I thought, well, that hat's been around." Over the years, Angelo Crema has farmed sugar cane, bananas and cattle. (ABC Far North: Sophie Johnson) Back near Ingham, Warren Russo sits in the shed at his sugarcane block, wearing a new hat. Nearly every year for the past 50 years, he's had to buy a new one, after destroying too many old hats with the lawnmower. Warren Russo recently bought a new hat. (ABC Far North: Sophie Johnson) But his memories of wearing those hats live on, as he remembers the years spent repairing harvesters, fencing, and planting sugar cane. Warren Russo will try not to destroy this hat with the lawnmower. (ABC Far North: Sophie Johnson) Mr Russo looks forward to the new experiences he will share with his fresh hat. That's assuming he doesn't run it over with the lawnmower this time. Header image: Joe Caruana has been collecting his hats for decades. (ABC Far North: Sophie Johnson) Copy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)PromotionTop StoriesAfter her husband's death, Annie discovered he had placed 100 bets a dayTopic:Gambling

Whether they're faded, frayed or stained, every hat tells a story

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