The Jackaroo

Jackaroo; n. a male station hand. That is according to the "Australian Slang Dictionary' whereas the Macquarie Dictionary gives a more realistic version. " A jack of all trades". Certainly a jackaroo is far more than 'a male station hand', which will be evident as the reader moves through this recount of the writer's five years of 'Station Management Apprenticeship"', possibly a more precise definition of the word. ('Station" being a large sheep and/or cattle property/ranch). The origin of the word 'jackaroo' has been debated as long as the word has been in existence, but the most popular belief is that early English migrants, who worked on stations in the Australian Outback, were given the name of "Jack Raw", being raw to the ways of the Australian bush. One such English migrant, whose name was Jack Carew may have had an influence on the foundation of the word. There is also the more recent female counterpart, known as a jillaroo. It is however, generally agreed that the word has no connection with the famed Australian icon, the kangaroo.