Green’s Dictionary of Slang

starve n.

In phrases

do a starve (v.)

(Aus.) to go hungry.

1873		Era (London) 19 Oct. 12/4: Mr Preston asked what was meant by ‘doing a starve.’ Prosecutor replied it meant that the prisoner was out of employment and without means.
1923–4		F. Anthony ‘Wood-Splitting with Gus’ in Me And Gus (1977) 20: The year of the great butter slump, when all the farmers were doing a starve.