Where “Jillaroo” Comes From
“Jillaroo” is a playful variation of “jackaroo”, a rhyme on “Jack and Jill”. Green’s Dictionary of Slang marks it as Australian and defines it as a land girl, a female worker on a cattle station.
Its earliest dated uses in Green’s are from 1936 and 1938, in Sydney papers. Today the word is used for farm jobs taken by young Australians and visitors.
Source:
“She spent a year as a jillaroo in Queensland.”
How Aussies Actually Use It
It’s used for farm and station work, including working-holiday jobs.
In Real Life
Jillaroos work on cattle and sheep stations across Australia, mustering stock, fixing fences and driving machinery. Many start as young workers on a working-holiday job, and agricultural colleges also offer jillaroo and jackaroo courses. The work is physical and often remote, with long days and hot weather. Stories of jillaroo life feature in books, songs and films about the outback.
Quick Questions
What’s the difference between a jackaroo and a jillaroo?
A jackaroo is a young man learning station work, and a jillaroo is a young woman doing the same.
Do you need experience to become a jillaroo?
Not always. Some stations train new workers, and courses are available.
Say It Like an Aussie
Say it: JIL-uh-ROO.
In conversation:
- She’s working as a jillaroo.
- My cousin went jillarooing out west.
- A jillaroo on a cattle station.
Good to know: “Jillaroo” matches “jackaroo”, the term for a young man learning station work. Both are often used for a gap-year job on a farm.
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