Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Aus./N.Z.) a petrol pump; a petrol garage, esp. one selling food and drink.

1947		Dubbo Liberal (NSW) 22 Aug. 1/2: Persons engaged in selling petrol from bowsers were entitled only to a weekly wage of £3.
1953		P. Closterman (trans.) Big Show 17: Pints of petrol — filched from the bowser.
1959		G. Slatter Gun in My Hand 151: Pubs selling cigarettes, petrol bowsers selling sweets.
1961		B. Crump Hang On a Minute, Mate (1963) 101: Food, cried Jack, and a petrol pump! They pushed the Ford the last thirty yards to the bowser and went into the bar.
1975		K. Willey Ghosts of the Big Country 11: The petrol bowser wasn’t damaged.
1986		T. Winton That Eye, The Sky 5: The only lights in sight are from Cherry’s roadhouse [...] You can see their bowsers glowing, and sometimes you think you can actually see the numbers rolling in them. [Ibid.] There’s two shops, a pub, a bowser.
1988		S. Gordon Under the Harrow 265: Bowser: a petrol pump. The name derives from the American firm, Bowser, which supplied the first pumps in South Africa.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl.