mulga wire

Noun

mulga wire (countable and uncountable, plural mulga wires)

1. (Australia, New Zealand) An informal gossip network, especially in a rural area such as the outback; also, a component in the network (either a person or an imagined wire).
   • There is a really good sketch of Micky, the lonely boundary rider, whose wonderful stock of news comes by "the mulga wires," who is full of scandal about the squatter's rams, and is "follered" by a phantom hut of leopard-wood slabs.1899 December 30, “An Australian Pastoral: ‘The Well-Sinkers: An Australian Pastoral.’ By Edith Quin. London: Fisher Unwin. [Over-Seas Library.] 2s. 6d. [book review]”, in The Outlook: In Life...
   • Lumps of silver as big as your head they're picking up. So the mulga wires say.1937, Ion L[lewellyn] Idriess, The Cattle King: The Story of Sir Sidney Kidman, Sydney, N.S.W.: Angus & Robertson, →OCLC, page 82

   Synonyms:

   bush telegraph, grapevine, jungle telegraph

2. (Australia, New Zealand) A message or story transmitted through such an informal network, especially one containing false information.
   • Tom had been been out early, or had got what we call a bush telegraphy or mulga wire, for when they reached the Four Lanes he said—[…]1913, Henry Lawson, “The Little Man with the Smile”, in Triangles of Life and Other Stories, Melbourne, Vic.; Sydney, N.S.W.: Lothian Book Publishing Co, published 1984, →OCLC, page 90
   • "What else did Nero say?" / "Nothin'. Only to tell you when you came home. Wandin sent him the mulga wire, I suppose."1938, Arthur Upfield, “Beside a Little Fire”, in The Bone is Pointed, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clio Press, published 1993, →ISBN, page 72

   Synonyms:

   mulga

3. (Australia, historical) A system for long-distance communication used by Aboriginal Australians, chiefly using smoke signals; also, a message or signal sent using such a system.