Green’s Dictionary of Slang

kerosene; thus kero-tin, old tins used for other purposes.

1938		X. Herbert Capricornia (1939) 129: Take it and buy some tucker and kero.
1959		A.W. Upfield Bony and the Mouse (1961) 22: Plants a case of gelignite, and the doings, tin of kero and a lamp.
1968		(con. 1940s) G. Dutton Andy 201: I’ll bring the old bus over to the bowser [...] she likes a bit of petrol. With the kero.
1969		A. Buzo Rooted I ii: It still had a stain on it [...] I’ve tried petrol, lighter fluid, metho and kero but it won’t come off.
1973		(con. 1930s) F. Huelin ‘Keep Moving’ 30: White-wash and oil kero tins were easy to obtain.
1977		in K. Gilbert Living Black 197: He said it was only an old kero fridge.
1980		M. Bail Homesickness (1999) 154: Collaged with flattened kero tins.
1984		W. Ammon et al. Working Lives 61: Yu’ gonna boil the kero-tin? [...] Good, I’ll whack a pair of strides and a shirt in.
1987		M. Bail Holden’s Performance (1989) 306: With a nod he indicated a kero tin for a seat.
1998		P. Doyle (con. late 1950s) Amaze Your Friends (2019) 154: It was a kind of smoko room for the fettlers, with a kero heater.
2001		(con. 1945–6) P. Doyle Devil’s Jump (2008) 48: The barmaids [...] had kero lamps and candles ready, and were soon pulling beers again.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl.