Austral English Part 292

Ibid. p. 201:

"The combats of the natives near Sydney were sometimes attended by parties of the inland or wood savages."

Wooden Pear, n. a tree peculiar to New South Wales and Queensland, Xylomelum pyriforme, Smith, N.O. Proteaceae; called also Native Pear.

1860. G. Bennett, `Gatherings of a Naturalist,' p. 322:

"The Wooden Pear-tree of the colonists (Xylomelum pyriforme) is peculiar to Australia; its general appearance is very ornamental, especially when the tree is young; the flowers grow in cl.u.s.ters in long spikes, but are not conspicuous. This tree attains the height of from fifteen to twenty feet, and a circ.u.mference of six to eight feet. It is branchy; the wood is of dark colour, and being prettily marked, would form an ornamental veneering for the cabinet-maker.

When young, in the Australian bush, this tree bears a close resemblance to the young Warratah, or Tulip-tree (Telopea speciosissima)."

1889. J. H. Maiden, `Useful Native Plants,' p. 615:

"Native Pear-Wooden Pear. This moderate-sized tree produces a dark-coloured, prettily-marked wood. It is occasionally used for making picture-frames, for ornamental cabinet-work, for veneers, and walking-sticks. When cut at right-angles to the medullary rays it has a beautiful, rich, sober marking."

Woollyb.u.t.t, a name given to one of the Gum trees, Eucalyptus longifolia, Link. See Gum.

1843. James Backhouse, `Narrative of a Visit to the Australian Colonies,' p. 445 (October 1836.):

"One called here the Woolly b.u.t.ted Gum seems identical with the black b.u.t.ted gum of Tasmania."

1894. `Melbourne Museum Catalogue Economic Woods,' p. 28:

"The Woollyb.u.t.t grown at Illawarra is in very high repute for wheelwright's work "

Woolly-headed Gra.s.s, n. an indigenous Australian gra.s.s, Andropogon bombycinus, R. Br.

1889. J. H. Maiden, `Useful Native Plants,' p. 72:

"Woolly-headed Gra.s.s, a valuable pasture-gra.s.s, highly spoken of by stock-owners, and said to be very fattening."

Wool-man, n. aboriginal misp.r.o.nunciation of old man (q.v.).

1830. Robert Dawson, `The Present State of Australia,' p. 139:

"The male kangaroos were called by my natives old men, `wool-man,' and the females, young ladies, `young liddy.'"

Wool-shed, n. the princ.i.p.al building of a station, at which the shearing and wool-packing is done.

Often called the Shed.

1850. J. B. Clutterbuck, `Port Phillip,' vol. ii. p. 23:

"In some instances the flood has swept away the wool-sheds."

1851. `Australasian' [Quarterly], vol. i. p. 298:

"... we next visit the `wool-shed,' and find the original slab-built shed has been swept away, to make room for an imposing erection of broad-paling ..."

1873. A. Trollope, `Australia and New Zealand,' vol. i.

p. 126:

"The wool-shed is a large building open on every side, with a high-pitched roof,--all made of wood and very rough. The sheep are driven in either at one end or both, or at three sides, according to the size of the station and the number of sheep to be shorn. They are then a.s.sorted into pens, from which the shearers take them on to the board;--two, three or four shearers selecting their sheep from each pen. The floor, on which the shearers absolutely work, is called `the board.'"

1890. `The Argus,' Aug. 9, p. 4, col. 1:

"You would find them down at Reed's wool-shed now."

Woomera, n. an aboriginal name for a throwing-stick (q.v.); spelt in various ways (seven in the quotations), according as different writers have tried to express the sound of the aboriginal word.

1793. Governor Hunter, `Voyage,' p. 407 [in a Vocabulary]:

"Womar--a throwing stick."

1798. D. Collins, `Account of English Colony in New South Wales,' p. 613:

"Wo-mer-ra--throwing stick."

1814. L. E. Threlkeld, `Australian Grammar' [as spoken on Hunter's River, etc.], p. 10:

"As a barbarism--wommerru, a weapon."

1830. R. Dawson, `Present State of Australia,' p. 240:

"Pieces of hard iron-bark to represent their war weapon, the womerah ... the whirling womerahs."

1839. T. L. Mitch.e.l.l, `Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia,' vol. ii. p. 342:

"The spear is thrown by means of a wammera, which is a slight rod, about three feet long, having at one end a niche to receive the end of a spear."

1847. L. Leichhardt, `Overland Expedition,' p. 492:

"But showed the greatest reluctance in parting with their throwing-sticks (wommalas)."

185o. J. B. Clutterbuck, `Port Phillip in 1849,' p. 58:

"They employ also, as a warlike weapon, a smaller kind of spear or javelin, which is discharged by means of a notched stick called a Woomera; and with this simple artillery I have seen them strike objects at 150 yards' distance. They also employ this minor spear in capturing the Bustard."

1863. M. K. Beveridge, `Gatherings among the Gum-trees,'

p. 13:

"Then the Wamba Wamba warriors, Sprang unto their feet with Tchgrels Ready fitted to their Womrahs."

Ibid. (In Glossary) pp. 84, 85:

"Tchgrel, reed spear.

Womrah, spear heaver."

1868. J. Bonwick, `John Batman, the Founder of Victoria,'

p. 20: