Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (Aus.) a job.

1895		J. Caminada Twenty-Five Years of Detective Life I 56: We have a start for him to-morrow morning.
1896		Coburg Leader (Vic.) 4 Jan. 4/1: Who are the two blokes that go to the bullock paddock [...] with no money and have to cadge starts.
1900–10		Stephens & O’Brien Materials for a Dict. of Aus. Sl. [unpub. ms.] 131: ‘I got a start this morning’ means got put on to work.
1912		E. Pugh City Of The World 269: But of all the cross starts that a gonoph can go in for, smashing and sniding is the most risky and worst paying.
1957		‘Nino Culotta’ They’re a Weird Mob (1958) 30: ‘Do I understand I have the job?’ ‘I’ll give yer a start, mate.’.

2. (S.Afr.) money.

1962		A. La Guma Walk in the Night (1968) 32: Mikey’s not cheap, he’ll give some start.
1977		C. Hope Ducktails in Gray Theatre Two (1981) 36: When I was a lightie I didn’t even have an autie. When I wanted to kraak down the town I had to battle some start off my old queen [...] so’s I could get the bladdy bus.
1982		P. Slabolepszy Sat. Night at the Palace (1985) 14: Hey, Forsie, gooi me some start we get some graze here.
1992		informant in DSAE (1996).