noun
historical AustralianA swagman who follows the course of a river.
‘a Murrumbidgee whaler was plodding along heavily in the distance’- ‘The Murrumbidgee whaler was unknown in these parts, and we never had anything stolen.’
- ‘The captain was a Murrumbidgee whaler before he took command of this ship.’
- ‘People in the hotel eyed Bob very suspiciously, muttering "Murrumbidgee whaler".’
- ‘They thought no more of the weight of their kit than did a hardened swaggie or Murrumbidgee whaler.’
- ‘The Murrumbidgee Whalers lived on rabbits, fish and whatever.’
Origin
Late 19th century from the Murrumbidgee river in New South Wales + whaler in the Australian sense ‘a tramp following the course of a river’.
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