Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Aus.) to talk to someone.

1900		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 28 Nov. 1/3: Ponies are scratched nowadays by ’phone, punters pratted by ’phone, and pewter planked per medium of the ’phone.
1909		Sun. Times (Perth) 28 Feb. 4s/9: His new-found cobbers want to prat themselves for drinks.
1941		Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl.
1951		D. Stivens Jimmy Brockett 180: I was getting tired of Jack’s long face and his prating about risks like a bloody parrot.
1988		McGill Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 88/1: prat to talk to someone; perhaps from English C19 colloquialism ‘praty’, talkative, from Southern English ‘prate’, idle talk.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988].