Home UK English Murrumbidgee whaler

Meaning of Murrumbidgee whaler in English:

Murrumbidgee whaler

Pronunciation /mʌrəmˈbɪdʒɪ ˈweɪlə/

noun

historical Australian

  • A 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’.