what is a battler? what is an aussie battler?

Question

i was reading an australian newspaper and came across this term. It was used in a political context. thanks

Answer 1

Battler is a peculiarly Australian expression for a not very powerful person who nevertheless has persistence and determination and so fights his way through to victory. Remember that Australia is a working class country where this kind of fighting spirit is highly valued.

It was used by Henry Lawson in "While the Billy Boils (1896)".
"...sat on him pretty hard for his pretensions, and paid him out for all the patronage he'd worked off on me .. and told him never to pretend to me again he was a battler".

The "little Aussie battler" - that resonant Australian archetype which has been around for at least a century - was powerfully captured in "The Man from Snowy River" where a small, unassuming horseman, without bragging about his abilities, triumphed over those who would consider themselves his betters.

Consistent with this, rather than being dismissed as irrelevant, people who struggle to make ends meet are referred to as battlers. The are seen as battling on, defiant in the face of the system. Struggling. Fighting. Surviving.

And these battlers constitute a considerable force in Australian politics. Labour, for instance, has traditionally considered itself to be representative of the battlers, whereas the Liberals have been their enemy. In modern times the policies of the major parties have merged in many ways, and while both would claim to be representative of the struggling worker, somewhat ironically it is possible that neither is.

Either way, Australians have a real soft spot for battlers, and a political party ignores them completely at their peril.

Answer 2

incredible question. yet I truly might want to disagree with you there. i love the Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi chant! that is purely so Australian. immediately & to-the-element. permitting them to recognize we are there and we are helping. All Aussies can do it. i love it! that is better ideal than fairly some the pretentious songs that pop out of different international places. 0.5 the time you do not even recognize what they're putting forward. And we do have songs and issues too. Waltzing Matilda, anybody?

Answer 3

term used for "the average" hard worker, who keeps on working hard, "no matter" what the odds, to keep his/her familly clothed and fed, and the bills paid.
# nothing to do with "butler".

Answer 4

It actually means 'Butler' but has been spelt phonetically as an aussie pronounces it.