Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a manly man.

1842		Bentley’s Misc. (US edn) 616: ‘What a gawney th’ bist, Bill! why zow’s a vemale — a ‘oman’a a vemale.’ Haw! Haw! I zees! The a man’s a he-male, I war’nd.’ ‘Lar’! no; there ben’t no zuch thing as a he-male, y’ gawney!’.
1870		Once a Week 13 Aug. 43/1: Who is the superior animal—a he-male or a she-male? as they say in America.
1909		J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era 152/1: He-male (Com. London, 1880). A full shape of male, and resulting from calling female she-male.

2. (Aus.) a masculine woman, prob. a feminist.

1911

Truth (Sydney) 12 Mar. 12/5: For the men they are afraid / Of a sour-faced hemale creature / Called by courtesy ‘a maid’.