McGrath of Harlow, here's what it says on my packet of Billy Tea:

During the historic gold rush days, imported French tinned beef was a staple food item. It is said that the 'diggers' mispronouncing the French word "Boeuf" (Beef) simplified it to "Bully" then "Billy". A wire handle was attached to the empty beef tin to boil water for tea - hence "Billy Tea". The word "Billy" along with Digger, Swaggie, Matilda and Billabong - all uniquely Australian, became part of our folk-lore.

Australia's favourite strong bush cuppa!

Billy Tea was first introduced in 1888 by James Inglis&Co tea and coffee merchants of Sydney. Its unique packaging capitalised on the Gold Rush spirit. Both the packaging and the spirit have remained almost unchanged - the real Australian flavour. Marie Cowan was the wife of the Sydney Tea merchant James Inglis, and arranged the tune Waltzing Matilda for her husband to distribute in the late 1890's as an advertisement for his tea. The words used in the song copy differ significantly from those published by A.B.Patterson. Whether the words changed gradually or as the song passed from singer to singer in the outback or were changed to help promote Billy Tea around 1903 is debatable, what we do know is you can still enjoy that Gold Rush spirit, listen to Waltzing Matilda whilst enjoying the distinctively Australian taste of Billy Tea.

Cheers, Jenny