Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US) a fool [rhy. sl. = dope].

1944

Maurer & Baker ‘“Aus.” Rhyming Argot’ in AS XIX:3 195/2: Tarry Rope A dope.

2. (Aus.) a woman, poss. a prostitute, who associates with sailors [SE tarry, covered in tar + rope].

1900–10		Stephens & O’Brien Materials for a Dict. of Aus. Sl. [unpub. ms.] 156: TARRY ROPE: slang, Sydney a nickname for the women and girls who frequent the waterside parts of Sydney and consort with sailors, more especially the man-of-warsmen.
1942		S.J. Baker in Le Courrier Australien (Sydney) 5 June 5/1: A girl or young woman to us is a sheila [...] shingler, sninny, turtle, pross or tarry rope.