Definition

Noun: * An itinerant Australian laborer, historically common in the 19th and early 20th centuries, who traveled on foot from place to place in search of work, carrying his possessions wrapped in a cloth bundle called a "swag."

Usage

The term "swagman" is used to refer to a specific historical figure in Australian culture, particularly associated with the outback and rural areas. It describes a nomadic worker, not a tourist or a modern backpacker.

Examples

• The old ballad tells the story of a swagman who camped by a billabong.
• During the depression, many men became swagmen, walking from farm to farm looking for any work they could find.
• In Australian folklore, the swagman is a symbol of independence and resilience.

Advanced Usage

• Cultural Archetype: The swagman is a central archetype in Australian national identity and folklore, often romanticized as a free-spirited, if impoverished, traveler of the bush.
• Historical Context: The phenomenon of swagmen was closely tied to economic conditions, such as droughts and depressions, which forced rural workers into a nomadic lifestyle.

Variants and Related Words

• Swag (noun): The roll or bundle containing a swagman's belongings, typically a blanket wrapped around personal items. (e.g., )
• Swaggie (noun, Australian informal): A colloquial and affectionate term for a swagman.
• Itinerant worker: A more general, modern term for a laborer who travels for work.

Synonyms

• Itinerant laborer
• Drifter (though this can have a more aimless connotation)
• Nomadic worker
• Tramp (archaic, in the specific sense of a traveling worker)

Idioms and Phrases

• "Waltzing Matilda": Australia's unofficial national anthem, which features a swagman as its protagonist. The phrase itself is Australian slang for the act of carrying one's swag while traveling on foot.

Noun

1. an itinerant Australian laborer who carries his personal belongings in a bundle as he travels around in search of work