Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a (public house) bar.

1902		Truth (Sydney) 31 Aug. 8/3: ‘Near & Far’ is Mister Norton / Slang for public house, you see.
1909		J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era.
1915		W. Gippslang Gaz. (Vic.) 10 Aug. 3/7: He got hit with a broken bottle in O’Figgin’s near-and-far.
1920		T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 59: Trying to feel free and happy at the movies as you pipe the cowboy at the near and far (bar) lifting his lip over a rye that’s on the house.
1928		M.C. Sharpe Chicago May: Her Story in Hamilton (1952) 132: Near and far – bar.
1935		A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks.
1941		West. Australian (Perth) 12 Apr. 4: What is it we ask for? The answers’ clear, / The near and far for far and near.
1944		Maurer & Baker ‘“Aus.” Rhyming Argot’ in AS XIX:3.
1960		J. Franklyn Dict. of Rhy. Sl.
1971		J. Jones Rhy. Cockney Sl.
1983		R. Aven-Bray Ridgey-Didge Oz Jack Lang 11: He moved from the near and far and propped at a Cain and Abel.
1998		C. Fitzpatrick ‘Gower ’98’ on Sussex University Canoe Club 🌐 So to round the night off, the chief of the battle cruiser let us bo peep in the near and far. Well those of us not in a chalet or peter pan. What a top bushel of coke.
2002		Pete’s Aussie Sl. Home Page 🌐 near and far: a bar.

2. (Aus.) a motorcar.

1944		Maurer & Baker in AS Oct.
1960		J. Franklyn Dict. of Rhy. Sl.
1967		‘Whisper All Aussie Dict.’ in Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xxxvi 4/2: near and far: Car.
1968		A. Burgess Enderby Outside in Complete Enderby (2002) 365: Got it this morning on the talkbox, in the near-and-far.
1971		J. Jones Rhy. Cockney Sl.