An incomplete glossary of Australian,British,or antique terms and concepts which may prove helpful to understanding this book:
"A house where they took in cards on a tray"(from Joe Wilson's Courtship):
An upper class house,with servants who would take a visitor's card (on a tray)to announce their presence,or,if the family was out,to keep a record of the visit.
Anniversary Day:Mentioned in the text,is now known as Australia Day.
It commemorates the establishment of the first English settlement in Australia,at Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour),on 26January 1788.
Gin:An obvious abbreviation of "aborigine",it only refers to femaleaborigines,and is now considered derogatory.
It was not considered derogatory at the time Lawson wrote.
Jackaroo:At the time Lawson wrote,a Jackaroo was a "new chum"or newcomer to Australia,who sought work on a station to gain experience.
The term now applies to any young man working as a station hand.
A female station hand is a Jillaroo.Variant:Jackeroo.
Old-fashioned child:A child that acts old for their age.
Americans would say `Precocious'.
'Possum:In Australia,a class of marsupials that were originally mistaken for possums.They are not especially related to the possums of North and South America,other than both being marsupials.