Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Aus.) to bathe; thus bogying, bathing.

1788		Hist. Records of NSW (1893) II 700: I have bathed, or have been bathing [...] Bogie d’oway. These were Colby’s words on coming out of the water [AND].
1790		D. Southwell Correspondence & Papers n.p.: Bo-gie, to dive [AND].
1841		HRA (1924) 1st Ser. XXI 472: I suppose you want your Boa, Sir, Yes, said Mr Dixon; well, said Crabb I suppose we must bogey for it. Yes, said Mr Dixon, any two of ye that can swim [AND].
1876		‘Eight Yrs.’ Resident’ Queen of Colonies 43: Bathing, or bogying, for that is the colonial phrase borrowed from the blacks [AND].
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 14 Feb. 20/1: Well, to tell y’ th’ trooth, sir, our bath is very much out ov repair just at the present; in fact y’ might as well try to bogey in a sieve.
1893		K. Mackay Out Back 50: I don’t care to bogey in our drinking tank.
c.1905		J. Furphy Buln-Buln and the Brolga (1948) 🌐 Fact is, the sea ain’t fit to bogey in; it’s too salt to drink, an’ it ain’t salt enough to keep properly.
1907		B. Baynton Human Toll (1988) 155: ‘Fanny,’ she gasped, ‘naughty, wicked boys goin’ to’ bogey on Sunday are stealin’ Aunt’s peaches!’ [...] ‘Let ’em bogey till they bust!’.
1928		T. Hall Short Hist. Downs Blacks 12: The males were allowed to bogey in the forenoons and the females in the afternoons.
1934		Bulletin (Sydney) 13 June 19/4: Blacks on the tidal creeks and rivers of Queensland prefer to bogey when the tide is on the ebb.
1945		Baker Aus. Lang. 223: Then there are the aboriginal words which we have borrowed and extended in meaning, e.g. bogie or bogey, to bathe, from which we have taken [...] bogieing, bathing.
1960		V. Carell Naked We are Born 47: One blackfella, him take lubra go bogey-bogey... They wash wash, they play about.
1974		Smoke Signal (Palm Island) June 7: ‘Bogey’ with plenty of soap and water every day.
1993		Aus. Word Map 🌐 bogey to have a bath or swim, usually in a stock dam in NT.