Austral English / A dictionary of Australasian words, phrases and usages with those aboriginal-Australian and Maori words which have become incorporated in the language, and the commoner scientific words that have had their origin in Australasia

by Edward Ellis Morris

<hw>Star-fern</hw>, <i>n</i>. name given in Victoria to <i>Gleichenia flabellata</i>, R. Br.; called also <i>Fan-fern</i>. See <i>Fern</i>.

<hw>Starling</hw>, <i>n</i>. English bird-name. The Australian species is the <i>Shining Starling</i>, <i>Calornis metallica</i>. The common English starling is also acclimatised.

<hw>Start</hw>, <i>n</i>. The young Australian has a fine contempt for the English word <i>to begin</i>, which he never uses where he can find any substitute. He says <i>commence</i> or <i>start</i>, and he always uses <i>commence</i> followed by the infinitive instead of by the verbal noun, as "The dog commenced to bark."

1896. Modern talk in the train:

"The horse started to stop, and the backers commenced to hoot."

<hw>Station</hw>, <i>n</i>. originally the house with the necessary buildings and home-premises of a sheep-run, and still used in that sense: but now more generally signifying the run and all that goes with it. <i>Stations</i> are distinguished as <i>Sheep-stations</i> and <i>Cattle-stations</i>.

1833. C. Sturt, `Southern Australia,' vol. i. (Introd.):

"They . . . will only be occupied as distant stock-stations."

1861. T. McCombie, `Australian Sketches,' p. 120:

"Their [squatters'] huts or houses, gardens, paddocks, etc., form what is termed a station, while the range of country over which their flocks and herds roam is termed a run."