Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Aus.) chunky, squat, thickset.

1880		Bulletin (Sydney) 12 June 5/4: Winston was the taller of the pair, but Thompson, who was ‘nuggetty’ and determined, got the better of the mill.
1887		‘Aus. Colloquialisms’ in All Year Round 30 July 67/2: The opposite kind of build [to tall and thin], short and thickset, is called ‘nuggetty’.
1899–1900		(?) H. Lawson ‘Poisonous Jimmy Gets Left’ in Roderick (1972) 354: He was a short, nuggety man.
1901		H. Lawson ‘The Bush Fire’ in Roderick (1972) 342: He was a short, nuggety man with black hair and frill beard ( a little dusty).
1910		C.E.W. Bean On the Wool Track 125: A fair-haired nuggety ganger with long arms like a gorilla.
1928		Age (Melbourne) 10 Nov. 23/2: ‘Remember that fat nuggety bloke [...] Snowy Brown?’.
1939		K. Tennant Foveaux 285: The two policemen, who later appeared, took one look at the tough, nuggety-looking group of pickets on the balcony.
1941		F. Sargeson ‘That Summer’ in Coll. Stories (1965) 156: He wasn’t a rangy specimen like me, no, he was nuggety.
1951		D. Stivens Jimmy Brockett 102: She was a nuggetty little sheila.
1960		(con. 1925) L. Masters Back-Country Tales 257: He was a nuggety built man about 5 ft. 7ins. in height.
1972		I. Moffitt U-Jack Society 69: I met a nuggety little drover once.
1985		R.G. Barrett You Wouldn’t Be Dead for Quids (1989) 106: A nuggety little bloke in his late 30s.
1996		J. Byrell Lairs, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers 235: A nuggety ordinary shuffler called Rare Form ambled past the trapped fave and won the event.
2000		S. Maloney Big Ask 74: Roscoe was lank and rangy. Len was the nuggety pug-eared type.
2004		L. Redhead Peepshow [ebook] The gym was empty except for a nuggety guy with back hair.
2020		G. Disher Consolation 232: Comyn said, heading for the door in his nuggety way.