Kilt : 1st Regiment, New South Wales Scottish Rifles

Black Watch or 'Government sett' tartan kilt of wool twill in colours black, green and blue. Kilt pleats are hand stitched. Waist edge is bound with bottle green wool twill tape, machine stitched to upper edge of tartan. Upper waist is lined with cream wool twill, full and gathered at the back section. On the narrower back section, stenciled in black ink is 'NSWS'. The three kilt straps are of the same Black Watch tartan but of a different weight of cloth. They are lined with black silk or cotton twill and positioned with one strap at the lower waist edge and two at the upper waist edge. The corresponding rectangular buckles are brass, each with one prong and stitched to short thick black wool loops. Lower edge of kilt is a selvedge.

The Black Watch tartan, adopted by the New South Wales Scottish Rifles, was purported to have at first been adapted to include a thin red overstripe as the Scottish Rifles were not officially affiliated with the Royal Highland Regiment until 1908 and not entitled to wear the Black Watch sett prior to this date. This kilt therefore could be from the later date as it has no red overstripe. The Scottish Volunteer Rifle Corps were first raised in New South Wales in 1885, following the surge of public support for the war in the Sudan. In 1896, the Scottish Rifles became known as the Scottish Rifles, 5th (Union) Volunteer Regiment and in 1901 the 5th New South Wales Infantry Regiment (Scottish Rifles). During the Boer War, 85 members of the Scottish Rifles, although not as a unit, served with the Australian contingents. The unit was presented with a King's Colour in 1909. The Scottish Rifles also raised several companies in country areas of New South Wales. In 1908 the New South Wales Scottish Rifles were formed into 1st and 2nd Regiments.