Just for you Xena! (please explain what 'sleece tiger do' means - I have neglected my studies of 'seriously ultra weird Americanisms' of late).

The original lyrics were written in 1895 by the Australian poet and nationalist Banjo Paterson 1864 – 1941. The music adaptation is credited to Christina Rutherford Macpherson (1864-1936), who is thought to have based the tune on the Scottish folk song "Thou Bonnie Wood Of Craigielea" circa 1805. Often called Australia's 'un-official national anthem,' Waltzing Matilda is used as the quick march of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. It is also the official song of the U.S. 1st Marine Division, commemorating the time the unit spent in Australia during the Second World War. Parts of the song are also used British Royal Tank Regiment's because early British tanks were called "Matildas."
For most people, the words of ‘Waltzing Matilda’ embody the free spirit, resourcefulness and defiance of authority associated with the Australian national character.

Swagman - itinerant worker, called a swagman because of the "swag" normally carried by such persons. A swag comprises the worldly belongings of the swagman, wrapped in a blanket and formed into a back-pack. A swagman is also known as a "swaggie."

Billabong - small lake or waterhole formed when a meandering river cuts through it's own course leaving a segment of the river isolated from the main stream. The word comes from the Wiradhuri (Aboriginal language of south eastern Australia), 'billa' meaning 'river' and 'baO' meaning 'a watercourse filled only after rain.'

Coolabah - type of tree, a 'eucalyptus microtheca gum,' which grows in some of Australia's wetlands.

Billy - (billycan), a type of tin can with a lid and a looped wire handle over the top. Used by denizens of the Australian outback as a cooking utensil primarily for the boiling of water to make tea. It is still used today when camping and holds approx' two and a half litres.

Waltzing - walking; the term used by swagmen to describe their means of travel - the term is widely held to derive from the German term 'auf der Walz,' which means to travel while working as a craftsman.

Matilda - the name given by one particular swagman to his swag. Matilda is an old Teutonic female name meaning ‘mighty battle maid.' Apparently the swaggie in question was a German who came to Australia after his wife Matilda, had died. He adopted the swaggie's lifestyle, and named his swag in memory of his wife. Use of the name spread. (This is supposed to be a true story - really). The other explanation is that the term derives from other German immigrants. German soldiers during the Franco Prussian war of 1870 – 1871 commonly referred to their greatcoats as "Matildas," supposedly because the coat kept them as warm as a woman did. Early German immigrants who "went on the waltz" would wrap their belongings in their coat and, took to calling it by the same name their soldiers had used.

Jumbuck - a sheep. The term is a corruption of ‘jump up’ (Macquarie Australian Dictionary, 3rd rev. ed. Sydney: Macquarie, 2001) an action used to describe a jumping, bounding sheep shorn of wool. Australians call knitted sweaters - 'jumpers.'

Tucker - food, usually Australian bush native food, hence "tucker-bag." The word 'tucker' is from old Saxon English and signifies a trade in fabrics; Linguistically the word is assumed to be related to the German 'tucher,' meaning clothweaver, 'fuller' being more commonly used instead. A tuckerbag is usually made of hessian cloth, a coarse woven fabric usually made from jute and allied vegetable fibers. The name 'hessian' is attributed to the use of the fabric initially, as part of the uniform of soldiers from the German state of Hesse (Hessen) and their kit bags, in which they carried their food.

Squatter - a wealthy landholder through occupancy rather than purchase.

Trooper - outback Colonial period military policeman (1788–1901), usually patrolling on horse-back (uniformly considered to be British and therefore 'complete bastards in Australian eyes).