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Once a jolly swagman camped by a Billabong Under the shade of a Coolabah tree And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled "Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"
Down come a jumbuck to drink at the water hole
Up rode the Squatter a riding his thoroughbred
But the swagman he up and jumped in the water hole
A.B. (Banjo) Paterson | ![]() |
| Billabong | A waterhole. |
| Billy | A can or small kettle used to boil water for tea. |
| Coolabah tree | A type of native tree in Australia |
| Jumbuck | A sheep. There are 20 times as many sheep as there are people in Australia. |
| Squatter | At one time, squatters claimed (seized) land for themselves in addition to land that they had been granted. Eventually through the continuous occupation of the land, their claims were legitimised in the eyes of the law. |
| Swagman | Someone who lives on the open road. A hobo. The term came from the canvas bag that they would carry their bedroll and/or belongings in. |
| Trooper | In Australia's early days, there was no police force. The colony was protected by and policed by soldiers and even when a police force was eventually formed, they were still referred to as 'troopers'. |
| Tucker bag | A bag for storing food in the bush. |
If you are interested in learning more about Australian slang, I've included an entire page devoted to Australian slang.
Page maintained by Grant Schmarr,
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