brickfielder

English

Etymology

From the location name Brickfield Hill, after the hill in Surry Hills (now in inner Sydney) from the direction of which a hot wind blew into Sydney in its early days. The term spread to Melbourne by circa 1850, and to central Australia by circa 1900, then to Western Australia. ^[1]

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

brickfielder (plural brickfielders)

1. (Australia) A hot, dry, dusty wind of southern or central Australia.
   • 1845, J. O. Balfour, A Sketch of New South Wales‎, page 5:

     Returning home, he discovers that the house is full of sand ; that the brickfielder has even insinuated itself between the leaves of his books ; that at dinner he will probably find that his favourite dish has been spoiled by the brickfielder.

   • 1914, Henry Mills Alden, Thomas Bucklin Wells, Harper's Magazine, volume 129, page 508:

     A southerly buster would blow — a Sydney brickfielder; […] .

   • 1986, Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact, volume 106, numbers 1-4, page 60:

     Then he had to concentrate his efforts on a smooth descent through the swirling gusts of the brickfielder.

   • 2005, Ajay Kumar Ghosh, Dictionary of Geography‎, page 45:

     Hot spells many days in duration, with temperatures daily exceeding 100°F. (38°C), often take place while the brickfielder blows.

Usage notes

The described nature of the brickfielder appears to vary by location, and perhaps has changed over time.

References

1. 1999, Graham Seal, The Lingo: Listening to Australian English, University of New South Wales Press, →ISBN, page 25.