Wig formerly worn by the Speaker of the House of Representatives

This wig was used by various Speakers of the House of Representatives between 1940 and 1983. It was donated to the parliament by Herbert Vere 'Doc' Evatt when he became a member of the House of Representatives. Evatt had previously been a High Court judge, and upon his switch from the judiciary to the legislature, he felt it appropriate to gift his wig and gown, symbols of impartiality and wisdom, for the Speaker to use when presiding over the chamber. Evatt himself was never Speaker.

The Speaker traditionally wore a wig and gown, following the centuries-old British tradition, but the tradition was not universal. The first Labor Speaker, Charles McDonald, refused to wear them after becoming Speaker in 1910, instead opting for his normal business attire. He also had the mace, which he considered a barbaric symbol of warfare, removed from the House of Representatives chamber. Subsequent Labor Speakers followed this precedent, with non-Labor Speakers continuing to wear the wig and gown and re-introducing the mace. Other traditional Speaker's clothing included a lace collar or jabot, lace cuffs, and sometimes a white bow tie.

This particular Speaker's wig was probably first worn by Sir Walter Nairn in 1940; before that, Speakers were required to provide their own.

This wig was certainly the one worn by Sir Billy Snedden as Speaker from 1976 to 1983. He was the last Speaker to wear the wig. The next Liberal Speaker, Bob Halverson, took office in 1996 and decided against the wig, retaining the gown. The rest of the formal attire has gradually disappeared; the last Speaker to wear the gown was David Hawker in 2007. Since 2012, all Speakers have worn ordinary business attire while presiding.