What are jackaroos and jillaroos?
Jackaroos and jillaroos are young people who work and train on Australian sheep or cattle stations, learning skills such as mustering, fencing, handling livestock and maintaining equipment.
Jackaroo refers to young men and jillaroo to young women. The word jackaroo has been used in Australia since the 1800s, though its origin is uncertain, and jillaroo was formed later as a feminine version.
Traditionally, many jackaroos were young men from cities or wealthy families sent to stations to gain practical experience before running their own properties.
Life on the station
Jackaroos and jillaroos work long days, often starting at dawn. Their tasks can include checking water points, repairing fences, mustering stock on horseback or motorbikes, branding, tagging and helping with the general running of the station.
Training schools and agricultural colleges offer courses for young people interested in station work. Some jillaroos and jackaroos go on to become station managers or work in agricultural careers.
The roles are often romanticized in Australian culture, with stories of hard work, adventure and life in the outback. Working holiday visitors sometimes take up station jobs to experience rural Australia.
Did You Know?
Experienced station workers are often called stockmen or stockwomen.