About Us
Meet Bill and Will Conner the father and son hat team. Read below about Bill who manufactured his original Australian styles (BC HATS) in Byron Bay for 50 years and recently retired to spend more time surfing and his son Will, musician and surfer who created the Conner Hat brand and distributes his hats worldwide.
Born in Byron Bay, Built Through Generations
From a tepee at local craft fairs, to a warehouse that doubled as an apartment, to becoming some of the most iconic hats in Australia. Bill and Will Conner are no strangers to the joys and struggles of chasing a dream. Through two generations of creativity and commitment, they’ve made Conner Hats what it is today
The Early Years
In April of 1969, a 20-year-old Bill Conner first learned the art of handmade leatherworks in St. Augustine, Florida. Even 50 years ago, the idea of making anything entirely by hand was considered old-fashioned. But Bill saw beauty and value in the slow track, and built a reputation for quality-made sandals, bags, belts, and hats under the name BC Leather.
He began selling his wares at art and craft fairs across the state, his wife Marion and 11-month-old son, Will, in tow. The small tepee he used to display his leatherworks often doubled as a playpen to keep baby Will out of the hot Florida sun. As his business grew, Bill moved into a small workshop, but still felt like something better was out there.
After fantasizing about following their dreams to a more natural lifestyle and better surfing, a chance encounter with a hitchhiker painted an idyllic picture of Australia that was too exciting to resist. So Bill and Marion decided to make the move down under. Using the money from his handmade wares, Bill tucked his long hair into a short-haired wig to look more “presentable” and charmed the immigration officer into letting his family make Australia their new home.
Becoming BC Hats
A few months later, the Conner family settled into their new home in Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast, and Bill opened a store called “Country Leather.” Between handcrafting his wares, he delighted in the world-class surf just minutes from his shop, and Will enjoyed a childhood next to the waves.
As the city began to bustle with new developments, the Conner family again decided to follow their own path to a more laid-back pace of life. They moved to the small coastal town of Byron Bay, which just so happened to be the town the hitchhiker had told Bill about years ago.
In Byron Bay, BC truly began to thrive. Bill focused his talents on his handmade leather hats, which were already a fan favorite. The debut of the 1982 film The Man from Snowy River popularized BC’s iconic hat style, and as a result, Bill was able to hire his first employees and start a small factory. BC Leather became BC Hats, and as his son Will's curiosity about the family business grew, Bill began to pass along his knowledge of the trade.
Australia’s Finest
As the BC Hats production grew, each new employee was taught how to make certain parts of the hat with the same care and quality that Bill prided himself on. And in 1986, when the movie Crocodile Dundee was released, Bill started getting calls from distributors worldwide. Australian outback-style hats skyrocketed into popularity, and Bill’s work took off alongside them.
In 1988, BC Hats became the official hat of the Brisbane World Expo. Not long after, Bill received the Small Business Exporter of the Year Award for N.S.W. in 1993 for his work creating Australia’s original leather hat with a shapeable brim. From handcrafting in a small workshop to shipping worldwide, BC Hats successfully brought the style to the world stage.
Now, Bill Conner enjoys the relaxed pace of life he worked so hard to create for his family. As a retired man, he can be found enjoying his favorite surf spots as the sun rises and then playing music with his long-time band mates when the sun gets too intense to be in the surf.
But the Conner family’s legacy of quality-made goods is far from over. While Bill has wound down his days of hat-making, the spark he shared with his son Will was just igniting…
A Legacy Worth Building On
After spending his formative years surfing, making music, and learning the tricks of the hatmaking trade from his father, Will Conner headed to college in St. Augustine, Florida, to study business.
During a freshman seminar, his professor asked, “What would make a good business?” Will confidently replied, “selling Australian hats,” only to be met with laughter from his classmates and professor. Whether it was because of the idea itself or due to Will's thick Aussie accent, he decided to prove them wrong. After one semester, Will chose to test his business skills in the real world, rather than the classroom.
While Will had been a part of the manufacturing side of his family's business for years, his real passion lay in the marketing and distribution of things. So, with the money he had saved up for college, he began importing and distributing his father's leather hats to the United States.
This was only a few years after Crocodile Dundee had put Australian Hats on the map for the world, and Will confidently began calling retailers to spread the word about his father's wares. However, his thick Australian accent meant that many folks could not understand what he was selling.
With a bit of practice, Will learned to channel an American accent and focus on referencing films about the Australian outback to get his point across. And, once he gained more confidence in his sales techniques, he learned that in-person visits were much more effective. Will treats business like making friends, and his customers connected with his laid-back approach. 30 years later, many of Conner Hats' customers are still from those original years.
From BC Hats To Conner Hats
Having seen firsthand how much a few years of betting on yourself could pay off, Will leaned into the struggle of starting a new business. He worked his way up from stocking hats in a two-car garage to a rented storage unit, and eventually a small warehouse space. Then, he truly went all-in by deciding to move in with his hats!He built a plywood floor and a few shelves into a sleeping space above his 10-foot by 10-foot office. “It was like camping indoors with no windows and a bunch of hats,” Will recalls. “I ran extension cords for a reading light and a plug-in stovetop, and built a shower in an outside building that the landlord let me have. The problem was waiting until all the other tenants left to take a shower!”
After calling the warehouse home for seven years, Will saved enough money to purchase a home of his own, along with several acres of land where the first dedicated Conner Hats warehouse was built.
In that time, Will also began designing and manufacturing his own hat styles, growing his business from solely importing his father's goods to making and selling a unique range of hat offerings. The Conner Hats brand was born in 2014, proudly putting a new spin on the legacy of BC Hats.
Today, the Conner Hats U.S. base is in American Fork, Utah, offering efficient distribution across North America. The original warehouse? It’s still near to Will’s heart, it’s still 100% solar-powered, and now rents it to other small, family-owned businesses that are getting their start in the market.
50 Years Of Commitment, And Counting
While Will learned the value of hard work and quality craftsmanship from his father, he also came to realize just how important our impact on the Earth is during his many solo travels as a young man. As the Conner Hats brand grows, Will makes it company policy to tread lightly, consider the widespread effects of every business decision, and make as many positive impacts as possible.
Nowadays, you’ll find changes like plastic-free packaging, recycled or sustainable materials such as organic cotton and cruelty-free wool, and an in-house food forest project that lives next to the original Conner Hats warehouse. If Will has learned anything from his and his father's business ventures, it’s that change is a constant. Conner Hat’s commitment to sustainability is ever-growing and always adapting with the times.
Today, Will still calls Byron Bay and St Augustine, Florida home, and he takes pride in selling BC Hats alongside his own Conner Hats creations. As Bill taught him, there’s no limit to what can be done with an idea you believe in and a path you’re happy to pursue.
WILL CONNER'S MUSIC
Will’s music can be found on all digital outlets:
