The colloquial Australian and New-Zealand phrase to do a perish, also to do a perisher, means: to reach, or to be in, a state of extreme privation; to suffer hardship; to die, especially of thirst.
The texts containing the earliest occurrences of the phrase that I have found seem to indicate that it originated as to do a perish among New-Zealand miners—these early occurrences are as follows, in chronological order:
1-: From an account of an incident that occurred between two miners who were staying at Christie’s, an accommodation-house at Inangahua, published in The Grey River Argus (Greymouth, West Coast, New Zealand) of Tuesday 31st January 1871 [Vol. 10, No. 786, page 3, column 1]—here, the meaning of the phrase to do a perish is unclear:
One night, after everything was quiet, the whole house was alarmed by a terrible uproar. It appears that a man who was sleeping in a room in which there were several beds left the dormatory [sic] for a few moments, and on his return he found his bed occupied by, as it turned out afterwards, some one who had been doing a “perish” on the floor.
2-: From Mining News. Grey Valley Diggings, published in The Grey River Argus (Greymouth, West Coast, New Zealand) of Thursday 4th January 1872 [Vol. 12, No. 1,072, page 2, column 4]:
The prospectors on several of the principal lines of reefs were enabled to continue work in their claims by co-shareholders […]. This mode of working has one great advantage over any other, and this is, that although the party may have to put up with hardships for a time, or, as it is expressively put, “do a perish,” if the portion of the company who are out looking for quartz or new ground do strike anything, they get a fair start, because there are no old scores or “dead horses” to work up.
3-: From an account of a public meeting held “for the purpose of urging upon the General Government the necessity of constructing the seven miles of road from Reefton to the Grey Valley”—account published in The Grey River Argus (Greymouth, West Coast, New Zealand) of Monday 29th January 1872 [Vol. 12, No. 1,093, page 2, column 3]:
Mr J. Kilgour said […] if the road was not made, there was no doubt that it would entail a great amount of suffering on the miners who, in digging parlance, would be compelled to “do a perish.”
4-: From The Evening Star (Auckland, Auckland Region, New Zealand) of Tuesday 14th May 1872 [Vol. 3, No. 728, page 2, column 3]:
The Greymouth Star says:—“We are informed the Hokitikians are so dissatisfied with their local press that some leading men are using every effort to induce competition in the literary market, and that very likely a new paper will be started in the course of a few weeks in the lively town of Hokitika. It is to be hoped, if the new venture is floated at all, that it will meet with better support than the last effort of opposition, the Independent did, for the late proprietors of that paper “did a perish” for nearly a year, and eventually had to seek “fresh fields and pastures new” to save themselves from absolute starvation. Their fate should be a warning to speculative printers, and if any paper is commenced, we would recommend some documentry [sic] business in reference to cash support being first transacted.
The earliest occurrence of the variant to do a perisher that I have found is from The Globe (Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand) of Wednesday 14th October 1874 [Vol. 2, No. 116, page 3, column 1]—here, the phrase is of obscure meaning (as is the text):
JOTTINGS BY ‘CRINGLE.’
[WRITTEN FOR THE “GLOBE”.]Spare me, Mr hon. sec., spare me; but I suppose ‘you must be cruel, only to be kind.’ Now, my friend, lend me your ear for one moment, while I dig down a piece. You “state” for my “information” that the gentlemen forming the “noisy section” (of this more anon) were chosen at the monthly meeting. How were they chosen? Was it by ballot, or resolution? Were their names canvassed in the usual manner, and were they the choice of the majority. Was the appointment made for a specific purpose; that purpose, and the names being duly entered on the minutes of the meeting? Or were they ‘self-nominated?’ If the first was not so, and the latter was the case, how about the chosen by the sixty-eight, part of the business? And now of the “noisy section.’ Was it fair when a certain person read ‘Cringle,’ at your late meeting, for that individual to try and make it appear that ‘Cringle’ included the whole of the association in this expression; or was it honest to single out an unassuming gentlemen [sic], who had been requested to “make one,” and appealing to the best feelings of the meeting ask, if the ‘epithet’ could with justice be applied to him? It might have been an ingenious mode of ‘fetching’ sympathy, but was rather a disingenuous one. And, by-the-bye, wasn’t the manner in which this was put more subdued than in his usual tone, and why? How many, Mr hon. sec., does it take to constitute a “small section,” and you will remember, that was the expression used by me, But how is it my friend, that you omitted any reference in your letter to the expressions “we’ll make them do it,” and “they must do it.” Is there anything you could “advise” poor Cringle” about that? You will also remember the other day, that when the gentleman was diplomatically engaged in angling for sympathy, he said it was not for themselves, but for up-country friends, this boon was desired—and when some persons suggested that this being the case, a representation on paper would answer the purpose, you must have heard how the suggestion was repelled. And why, Mr hon sec? Is there another “particular case” looming, in which—when the desired result is obtained—the up-country contingent will be allowed to do a perisher?”
The following are, in chronological order, the earliest Australian-English occurrences of the phrase that I have found—the original form was to do a perish:
1-: From a correspondence from Cloncurry, Queensland, dated Thursday 20th October 1881, published in The Queenslander (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) of Saturday 19th November 1881 [Vol. 20, No. 326, page 648, column 1]:
Our new storekeeper’s (Mr. Straiker) new building is going up rapidly, and looks quite imposing. At present he is occupying a very rough place, but it is crammed with goods. Messrs. M‘Gillavrey and Co.’s store is also pretty well stocked and loading arriving, so the Cloncurryites are not likely to do a “perish” this wet season. Won’t they get fat?
2-: From Stock Report, dated Deniliquin, Friday 6th January 1882, published in the Pastoral Times (Deniliquin, New South Wales, Australia) of Saturday 7th January 1882 [Vol. 25, No. 1,196, page 2, column 1]:
The Hungerford correspondent of the Wilcannia Grazier warns drovers against travelling the Paroo route for some time to come. “Water very scarce, and what is to be had is quite thick, and cattle have been known to refuse it after a hot day’s stage. Within the last fortnight over 40,000 sheep have passed here, all under the charge of Mr H. O. Gilbert, and travelling in several lots; they have been doing a great perish and are dying and dropping off in large numbers.”
3-: From a letter to the Editor, by ‘Pond Peter’, published in The Port Augusta Dispatch and Flinders’ Advertiser (Port Augusta, South Australia, Australia) of Thursday 4th October 1883 [Vol. 5, No. 304, page 3, column 2]—here, the meaning of to do a perish is unclear:
If this sand [i.e., Oakden Hills sand] is not metalled, how can the North West be developed with any speed? […] How can this be done when we have such difficulty in getting loading up? […] My teams have been ready to go down for a week, they returned about a month ago from the Port, but they made such a bad trip, leaving bullocks and horses to die on the road, and it was all through the Oakden’s sand these losses occurred. I am now undecided whether to send them down again and risk the loss, or do a perish for the summer.
4-: From The Yass Courier, and General Advertiser for the Southern Districts of New South Wales (Yass, New South Wales, Australia) of Friday 1st May 1885 [Vol. 28, No. 2,766, page 2, column 4]:
Railway.—We have been compelled on many occasions to direct attention to the unsatisfactory manner in which the mixed trains are at present run […]. Several travellers have lately complained that the railway department are so anxious to curtail expenses that fires are not lighted in the waiting-rooms at the station, and consequently persons who are compelled to visit the early trains have either to “do a perish” on the platform or visit the refreshment room.
5-: From Football Notes, by ‘Snipe’, published in The Bendigo Advertiser (Bendigo, Victoria, Australia) of Saturday 17th July 1886 [Vol. 33, No. 9,673; Supplement: page 1, column 5]—the following is from an account of a match between the Imperials and Bendigo—however, here, to do a perish seems to be a variant of the phrase to go in a perisher, meaning: to pursue a course of action vigorously or assiduously; to put all of one’s energy into something:
With the exception of one or two splendid rallies on the part of the Imps., the red and blue seemed to have it pretty well their own way. The placed men of the Imps. are much to blame for this, as instead of keeping their places especially in the second half of the game, they were all following, leaving as many as seven of their opponents doing a perish by themselves.
6-: From a correspondence from Wee Waa, New South Wales, dated Thursday 14th April 1887, published in The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (Maitland, New South Wales, Australia) of Saturday 16th April 1887 [Vol. 44, No. 6,080, page 12, column 3]:
I have had nothing to report lately from here; everything is so dull. The fact is, Mr. Editor, I have been doing a perish for a cheap drink. The times are altered here. I can recall to mind the days gone by when I could swim in cheap booze. But, ah! what changes time has worked since then, even in this small place. There is one thing certain, if you can’t find a dry sixpence you’ll go thirsty.
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