A jackaroo or jackeroo is a young man (feminine equivalent jillaroo or jilleroo) working on a sheep or cattle station to gain practical experience in the skills needed to become an owner, overseer, manager, etc. The word originated in Queensland, Australia, in the 19th century and is still in use in Australia and New Zealand in the 21st century. The Nuttall Encyclopedia (1909, 1920) defines the term as "name given in Australia to a green-horn from England inexperienced in bush life".
Etymology
Jackaroo The word jackaroo, also formerly spelled jackeroo, has been used in Australia since at least the mid 19th century and has also passed into common usage in New Zealand. Its use in both countries continues into the 21st century. The origin of the word is unknown, but its first documented use was in Queensland. Several possibilities have been suggested:
An 1895 suggestion was for an origin from an Aboriginal word for a pied currawong, a garrulous bird, which the strange-sounding language of the white settlers reminded them of. Meston explained his position in a newspaper in 1919. By 1925, it was said that the term originated from the fact that "one of the earliest [...] was named 'Jack Carew'." 'Jack of all Trades in Australia' (Jack + kangaroo) has popular support. The Brisbane Courier newspaper of Queensland, on 5 July 1929, stated in answer to a question from a reader 'POMMY' of Toowong: A jackaroo (sometimes spelt jackeroo) Is a young man learning experience on a pastoral property. (2) In the English language 'Jack' is compounded with a lot of words, and in the early pastoral days it was compounded with the "roo" in kangaroo to indicate, perhaps, the aimless rushing about of the inexperienced station cadet. The Encyclopaedia of Australia stated in 1968 that it is "most probably a coined Australian-sounding word based on a [person] 'Jacky Raw'". Jackaroos (Jacky + Raw) were often young men from Britain or from city backgrounds in Australia, which would explain the pejorative use of 'raw' in the sense of 'inexperienced'. This term is attested as early as 1906, especially when used of immigrants. Arguably the most authoritative voice on Australian English was that of the Australian National Dictionary Centre of the Research School of the Humanities at the Australian National University, which provides for Oxford University Press their Australian dictionaries. In 2010, the Centre made no final judgment on the origin of the term, but raised the possibility that 'jackeroo' is derived from an Aboriginal word for 'stranger' rather than for a 'pied crow shrike'. The spellings jackaroo and jackeroo were both used from about 1880 to at least 1981. In 2010, the more commonly used spelling was 'jackaroo'. However, between the years 1970 and 1981, a sample of Australian newspapers referred to 'jackeroo' 18 times and 'jackaroo' 29 times.
Jillaroo
The word jillaroo for a female landworker was coined in the Second World War and has persisted into the 21st century. During the war, it was necessary for women to take on all the occupations followed traditionally only by men. Jack and Jill is a widely known nursery rhyme, and suggests the derivation of Jillaroo from Jackaroo.
History
19th century An early reference to jackaroos can be found in Tibb's popular song book, published between 1800 and 1899. This book begins by describing itself as: "Containing the latest hits on Busy in town, Australia's carsman, The Chinese and federation, Squatters' defeat, Australia's happy land, The Jackaroo, &c., &c.," In 1867, Temple Bar magazine featured an essay, "Reminiscences of Bush Life in Queensland," in which the anonymous author calls his past self a "Jackaroo" due to his inexperience. In 1878, 'Ironbark' stated "Young gentlemen getting their 'colonial experience' in the bush are called 'jackeroos' by the station-hands. The term is seldom heard except in the remote 'back-blocks' of the interior." Colonial experience was a term commonly used in the 19th and early 20th centuries for the acquisition of skills and experience in Australia by young English gentlemen, in the expectation of preferential treatment back in England when applying for a position with the possibility of advancement, such as a clerk in a large mercantile establishment. The jackaroo's employment may have been made by agreement between his father and the wealthy squatter through some connection, with the son working for a year in a variety of roles for his board and lodging. This was often seen as a great advantage to the squatter, who gained an intelligent and subservient worker at minimal expense.
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