Etymology Map
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Coolabah

2 stages from Yuwaalaraay to English.

Today it means a eucalyptus tree of inland Australian watercourses

Where does the word "coolabah" come from? It comes from Yuwaalaraay gulabaa, adopted directly into English (1860s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
gulabaa
Yuwaalaraay · 1800s
"coolabah tree"
a eucalyptus of inland floodplains; the Burke and Wills 'Dig Tree' at Cooper Creek, blazed in 1861, is a coolabah
2
Stage 2 of 2
coolabah
English · 1860s
"inland eucalyptus"
Banjo Paterson's 'Waltzing Matilda' (1895) sets its swagman 'under the shade of a coolibah tree'
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Coolabah’s story begins in Yuwaalaraay: gulabaa meant “coolabah tree.” A eucalyptus of inland floodplains; the Burke and Wills 'Dig Tree' at Cooper Creek, blazed in 1861, is a coolabah. It reached English by 1860s as coolabah. Banjo Paterson's 'Waltzing Matilda' (1895) sets its swagman 'under the shade of a coolibah tree'. Today, coolabah means a eucalyptus tree of inland Australian watercourses.