Billabong
Billabong is an
Australian English word used to refer to an
oxbow lake, a stagnant pool of
water attached to a waterway. Billabongs are usually formed when the path of a
stream or
river changes, leaving the former branch with a dead end. The word is derived from two
Indigenous Australian words: "billa" meaning "creek" and "bong" meaning "dead".
Billabongs appear relatively often in Australian literature. One of the most well-known references is in the opening line of
Banjo Paterson's famous
poem "
Waltzing Matilda".
Encyclopedia
- For other meanings, see Billabong
Billabong is an
Australian English word used to refer to an
oxbow lake, a stagnant pool of
water attached to a waterway. Billabongs are usually formed when the path of a
stream or
river changes, leaving the former branch with a dead end. The word is derived from two
Indigenous Australian words: "billa" meaning "creek" and "bong" meaning "dead".
Billabongs appear relatively often in Australian literature. One of the most well-known references is in the opening line of
Banjo Paterson's famous
poem "
Waltzing Matilda".
The name
Billabong has been adopted as the brand name for a popular brand of
Australian
surfing wear sold around the world by
Billabong International.
Billabong is also the name given to a chocolate ice cream on a stick, similar to Paddle Pop or Fudgsicle, manufactured by the Peter's company in Perth, Western Australia.
