Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Aus./N.Z.) a non-alcoholic drink.

1905		Duke Tritton’s Letter n.p.: I can go into the Rubbity Dub and have a lemonade [...] and no one ever laughs at me or calls me sissy because I am drinking lolly water.
1911		Truth (Sydney) 2 July 5/8: This deflection from political grace must come liko a swig of lolly-water after a dose of salts to the public.
1938		Wkly Times (Melbourne) 30 Apr. 45/2: Alas — when toasts were proposed and drunk, the ‘little lass’ (who has always had a passion for what she calls ‘lolly water’), insisted upon emptying her glass each time.
1944		Western Mail (Perth) 9 Mar. 21/1: Bottles of ‘lolly-water’ (soft drink) were issued.
1948		S.L. Elliott Rusty Bugles I i: Give us some lolly water.
1954		(con. 1940s) T.A.G. Hungerford Sowers of the Wind 177: You’ve never got your feet wet in anything worse than lolly-water, you bloody queen!
1955		N. Pulliam I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 66: Australians drink a good many fruit juice ades. These are called ‘lolly water.’ Lolly water comes in big bottles and resembles American colas and pops, but isn’t quite so carboniferous.
1960		J. Walker No Sunlight Singing (1966) 181: It’s nice and sweet, they lap it up like lolly water.
1969		L. Hadow Full Cycle 152: Eh, you [...] where that lolly-water for your kids tomorrow?
1988		McGill Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 70/1: lolly water soft drink or weak alcoholic drink.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988].
2007		S. Maloney Sucked In 119: We hunted up a late lunch of BBQ crisps and lolly water.