I was reading the through the stories and verse and came across the term “bloochers” and not having read that phrase before, I went looking.  I half-way expected to see what I found and with no disrespect to anyone here, past or present, I simply submit the fruits of my research.
The following list may be of some use to our overseas subscribers with interpreting some of the verse here.

Billy, billycan.  Small can usually off tin with a tightly fitting lid and a wire handle, used to carry water and also as a stewpot, kettle and teapot.

Bluey,  Swag.  Name after the blue-grey blanket that was rolled into the swag.

Bluchers,  Boots

Bundle,  Swag.

Bush,  Uncleared area of forest or scrub, the Outback.

Carry the curse,  Carry the swag.

Clay,  A pipe.

Coolbah – Coolibah,  Species of eucalypt tree from inland and northern Australia growing to 14mt in height

Cove or covey,  Station Manager or man

Damper,  Usually baked in the form of a flat cake in the ashes of a fire or baked in a camp oven.  First recorded in Australia in 1827.  The word comes from the English word damper, meaning a snack between meals.

Drum,  Swag. A rug or blanket rolled into a short, round bundle and strapped for carrying was called a drum.

Dust,  Apart from it’s obvious reference, dust was also used to describe flour.

Humping the bluey, humping the drum,  Carrying the swag.

Johnny cake,  Bush scone fried in a pan or baked in the ashes of a fire.

Knock down,  After the shearing or other seasonal work was done, the swagman would “knock down” or cash his cheque at the nearest bush shanty.

Letting the red steer loose,  Starting a bushfire. When the “red steer went through” was the aftermath of said fire.

Nobbler,  A small drink.

On the wallaby / track,  When a Swaggie took to the track as in Wallabies making many small tracks through the bush.

Scrub,  Dense undergrowth which through taller trees grow.  Scrub can range from light through to thick.

Shed,  Abbreviation of woolshed where the shearing takes place, holding pens and yards.  Often a large structure and surrounds.

Station,  Large grazing property that may be several thousand kilometers in area taking days to traverse prompting the question, “are we there yet?”

Sundowner,  Man who arrives at a station just before sundown seeking rations and shelter, but not work, leaving early in the morning.

Swag,  Bed roll of blankets, clothing and other personal items strapped so that it could be slung over one shoulder.  From the English word “swag” meaning a bundle, parcel or package.

Swagman, swaggie,  Seasonal worker as in shearer, harvest hand or similar who carried a swag.

Traveler, trav’ler,   Swagman.  In English slang a traveler meant a tramp.  In Australia, traveler was a polite term for a swaggie.

Tucker,   From the English word “tuck” meaning food or appetite.

Tuckerbag,  Often a calico or sugar bag used to carry food and utensils.  Usually it was attached to the top strap of the swag.

I would appreciate any feedback on this glossary and welcome additions.  

cheers.

Johnny cake is a common term for a bread of pioneer N. America, especially from wagon train days.

The dough was made from corn meal, salt and water.  It's also taken to mean journey cake, since it keeps well.

:-/

Little_Kopit wrote on Dec 31^st, 2008 at 9:41pm:

Johnny cake is a common term for a bread of pioneer N. America, especially from wagon train days. The dough was made from corn meal, salt and water.  It's also taken to mean journey cake, since it keeps well. :-/

Lets face it.  The Irish went to many destinations.  I wonder if that term didn't originate from there?  and was carried on by the next generation?????   One wonders.

I wouldn't pin that down to any one people from the British Isles, but lets face it in the era of a dominant British Navy, Irish, Scots, Welsh, and even English folk moved around and brought all kinds of words.

Hm,  You can include among those peoples influences from:  Danes, Norse, Vikings, Normans, Jersey and Guernsey Islanders, Anglos and Saxons from central Europe.........................

;)

LOL
Totally agree!  I also think there was a smattering of Roman influence for a wee bit.   :) :)

Happy New Year...

OzJeeper wrote on Jan 1^st, 2009 at 4:17pm:

LOL Totally agree!  I also think there was a smattering of Roman influence for a wee bit.   :) :) Happy New Year...

I thought I'd being going on a bit too long if I went and named all the mediterranian folks who traded with the British Isles about the turn from BC to AD.

Let's see:  Roman, Greek, Turkish, Armenian, Jewish folks, Arabs, Marco Polo's real contacts........  No end to it.  

We should check and see what the Indians, the Tibetans, the Chinese etc. call a corn meal bread.

:P

Happy New Year to you too.  (Only British Columbia, California, OR, WA,  Alaska, & Hawaii left to go to have all in 2009)

Some of my favourites are:
cocky's joy : golden syrup
Bushman's clock : a laughing kookaburra
Underground mutton : rabbits
Ringer : a stockman or the "gun" shearer on the station
And my favourite is a stockmans dinner which is a smoke and a spit.

Almost fergot.....

Dingoes breakfast,  A leak and a look around... :)

Thanks for the additional's swinno.

Would a swaggie have ever talked about a poddy dodger?

;)

Not if there were duffers around.

swinno wrote on Jan 1^st, 2009 at 6:47pm:

Some of my favourites are: cocky's joy : golden syrup Bushman's clock : a laughing kookaburra Underground mutton : rabbits Ringer : a stockman or the "gun" shearer on the station And my favourite is a stockmans dinner which is a smoke and a spit.

Aww mate, I won't be able to sleep!

I worked [camped out with a team once, 3 of us] down around Balranald, for about 2 months.

Every morning, early, I was woken by the stockmans, [spit as in chunder] he used to blame the tea he was drinking.  ;D

Had nothing to do with 2 packs of tobacco & flagon of sherry.  :D



PS: One of the best & hardest workers I've ever come across.