State Rivers and Water Supply Commission of Victoria. Young woman in the bush dressed as a swagman, 1900–40. Glass negative, State Library Victoria Pictures Collection.

A national symbol of surviving the great outdoors is the swag. This portable camp came about to provide a makeshift home for on the road, when seasonal workers walked huge distances in search of jobs – and water.

Its design evolved in response to pragmatic needs, yet the colloquial names by which it is known are much more elaborate, including ‘jabbing trotters’, ‘waltzing matilda’ and ‘humping bluey’.