Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. of objects, excellent, first-rate.

1899		W.J. Kountz Billy Baxter’s Letters 71: I laughed so loud at Johnny’s shine joke that the manager of the hotel called me.
1901		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 10 Apr. 2/5: A mug of claret wine, / The werry first partickeler, / Goblime it was shine).
1903		‘Hugh McHugh’ Out for the Coin 36: I saw my way clear to making a shine start with my Santa Claus stable.
1906		E. Dyson Fact’ry ’Ands 44: ‘Well, you’re er shine idyit,’ commented Feathers.
1906		Sun. Times (Perth) 14 Jan. 4/8: There was one girl a shine tart to wot Tommo couldn’t get to go in for a swim no ’ow.
1911		E. Dyson ‘The Picnic’ in Benno and Some of the Push 4: ‘Is she a shine squeeze, Benno?’ asked Feathers.
1915		C.J. Dennis Songs of a Sentimental Bloke gloss. 🌐 Shyin’ or Shine – Excellent; desirable.
1919		E. Dyson ‘Mickie Mollynoo’ in ‘Hello, Soldier!’ 39: A shine John Hop is Mollynoo.
1940		O. Strange Sudden Takes the Trail 117: If you ain’t the shinin’ limit.
1988		McGill Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 101/1: shine good or likeable.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988].

2. of people, likeable, admirable.

1901		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 25 Sept. 3/2: There’s a hand of stoush awaiting / For the bloke that dares to say / She ain’t the shinest klina / In the push.
1903		Newsletter (Sydney) 29 Aug. 18/1: Copper King (roaring): ‘Yous is a pretty shine bloke to try and book a sprat (with bitter irony). I s’pose next you’ll want to book something with Tattersall.’.
1931		Dly Examiner (Grafton, NSW) 19 Aug. 6/4: I also met a timber-getter named Shine and his mate and had a feed with them. That name attracted me. The old bush-men referred to a good chap as ‘a shine bloke.’ Both these men deserved the term.
1941		Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl.
1988		see sense 1.

3. (Aus.) of people, smartly dressed, fashionable.

1909

Truth (Perth) 2 Jan. 4/8: Strike me pink he were a dandy, / Togged up werry shine & neat.