Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. an argument, a dispute, a fight, a brawl.

1924		Truth (Brisbane) 19 Oct. 13/7: As the old saying says: ‘When Greek meets Greek there’s sure to be a yike’.
1926		Register (Adelaide) 9 July 12/5: They heard some person call out ‘Yike’. His honor—What on earth does that mean? The public Solicitor—In good Australian, Your Honor, it means a ‘brawl’ or ‘box on’.
1930		Central Queensland Herald (Rockhampton, Qld) 22 May 18/3: It is said that hard words passed between some of the boys [...] the reason for the ’yike’ probably was that Zemidar ran a much better race.
1939		Argus (Melbourne) 23 Dec. 65/4: But where, oh where, did we get ‘Pratting in one’s frame’, ‘Doing one’s block,’ ‘Getting into a yike,‘ [and] ‘Snifter’.
1941		Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl.
1945		R.S. Close Love Me Sailor 48: I was just a second mate having a yike about a woman passenger.
1953		T.A.G. Hungerford Riverslake 38: The Bastard’s no slouch when it comes to a yike!
1965		J. O’Grady Aussie Eng. (1966) 90: Heard there was a big yike at the pub last night.
1967		‘Whisper All Aussie Dict.’ in Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xliii 11/3: yike: An altercation. Sometimes verbal, sometimes physical, it all depends on luck.

2. a boxing match.

1941

Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl.

3. a party.

1949

Mirror (Perth) 13 Aug. 6/3: With all the galahs and dills that’ll drag in this yike, it’d be ridge to have someone who’s a wake-up to yabber with.