bendigo, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

bendigo n.

[the professional name of William Thompson (1811–89), the Nottingham prize-fighter who fought as Bendigo and ended his days as an evangelical preacher]

a rough fur cap.

1846		Leicester Chron. 7 Nov. 3/4: Dressed in a dark cloth coat [...] new Blucher boots, and an old Bendigo cap.
1851		Era (London) 9 Feb. 5/1: Westahall having a black wide awake on his head, and Hayes his caput ensconced in a Bendigo cap.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1891		Exeter & Plymouth Gaz. 15 Oct. 6/4: Then with a great shaking of their ‘upper Benjamins’ (great coats) the crew with their ‘Bendigoes’ on, depart.