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Green’s Dictionary of Slang

fair go phr.

1. (Aus.) be reasonable, be fair.

1910		Worker (Wagga, NSW) 25 May 3/4: 'Fair go!' An upward jerk of the arm, a sharp, knacky turn of the wrist, and the coins were again in the air. Clink! ‘Two ones!’ ‘Heads a dollar!’ ‘A bob tails!’ ‘A bob heads!’ ‘You’re on!’ ‘Y’ all set? Fair Go’.
1919		Tweed Dly (Murwillumbah, NSW) 18 Jan. 7/5: ‘YawI set? Then come inter the ring, spinner.’ ‘Now, fair go, an’ don’ kick them bronzers!’.
1925		Dly Standard (Brisbane) 17 Mar. 8/8: In yesterday's ‘Standard,’ on the front page, there was a news Item with hoading ‘Burglars Busy.’ On the back page [...] was a par which told of a police presentation [...] to the retiring Police Commissioner [...] adding: ‘The promoters invite all members of the force in town to be present’ [...] Fair go, now, fair go!
1930		Sport (Adelaide) 13 Feb. 3/4: [headline] Fair Go, Boy.
1941		Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl. 28: Fair go!, be reasonable! Give him (it, etc.) a chance!
1947		‘A.P. Gaskell’ ‘The Big Game’ in Big Game and Stories 11: ‘No, fair go,’ said Bob seriously.
1957		‘Nino Culotta’ They’re a Weird Mob (1958) 88: ‘Wot about ’im livin’ with Jimmy an’ Betty?’ [...] ‘Fair go mate, fair go.’.
1959		C. MacInnes Absolute Beginners 110: ‘Fair goes, fair goes now,’ the Cobber said.
1966		J. Holledge Great Aust. Gamble 100: The boxer calls, ‘Come in, Spinner,’ or sometimes, ‘Fair go, Spinner’.
1967		J. Wynnum I’m a Jack, All Right 20: Fair go, Chief! [...] We are asking for nothing more than our entitlement to legitimate leave.
1973		(con. 1930s) F. Huelin ‘Keep Moving’ 29: You’re trying to pinch work off South Australians — an’ yous are going crook about dagoes and poms. Fair Go!
1987		M. Bail Holden’s Performance (1989) 280: ‘I saw her face.’ ‘Fair go. She would have been doing a hundred and twenty miles an hour.’.
1996		Penguin Bk of More Aus. Jokes 458: No, no, mate. Fair go. You paid for the beers.
2000		S. Maloney Big Ask 142: Fair go, Heather [...] This isn’t Murray’s fault.
2007		L. Redhead Cherry Pie [ebook] ‘Are you going to do his ankles?’ Rochelle asked. ‘Fair go. I’ve only got four pair [of handcuffs]’.
2018		R. O’Neill ‘Ocker’ in The Drover’s Wives (2019) 181: Still, fair-go, he was an alright sort of husband.

2. (N.Z.) interrog.: really?

1961

B. Crump Hang On a Minute, Mate (1963) 87: Sam said [...] Bloke I know made over a thousand quid by not being able to count properly. Fair go? said Jack.