star finch - Neochmia ruficauda, a medium-sized finch with striking plumage: upper parts olive-yellow and underparts yellowish; breast olive-grey with white spots. Front half of head crimson. Face and chin crimson with white spots. Beak crimson, legs and feet yellow, eyes red-olive. When not breeding the star finch is usually encountered in small, wandering groups throughout its habitat or riparian vegetation in termperate to tropical swamps and woodland. They feed on half-ripe grass seeds, mostly near the ground, preferring to cling to the seedheads of grasses rather than land on the ground. However, at the commencement of the breeding season insects (especially flying termites) predominate in their diet. The nest is usually located in a bush or shrub up to several metres above ground. The selection of a nest site involves an elaborate ceremony. Both sexes sit on the site of the future nest and simultaneously bow deeply with tails twisted, followed by pivoting around the perch. Both the parents incubate the eggs and rear the young. Pairs form very strong bonds and remain in close contact. Formerly found across northern Australia from Shark Bay to northern NSW. Today, it is reliably reported from west of the Gulf of Carpentaria.

star fruit - carambola.

star-apple - an edible purple apple-like fruit (with a starlike cross-section) of a tropical evergreen tree, Chrysophyllum cainito.

starflowers - (see: Calytrix).

starkers - 1. completely naked, nude. 2. crazy, mad, insane.

start a hare - raise a topic of conversation.

Starvation Harbour - No 1 Rabbit Proof Fence, also known as State Barrier Fence, stretches 1822 kilometres from Starvation Harbour in the south to Wallal near Port Hedland in the north of Western Australia.

stat dec - statutory declaration.

State Battery site - the Battery was set up in the Great Depression by the government to encourage goldmining. New mines could have the first three tons of ore free of charge. It closed in World War II. Located in what is now part of Chiltern Mount Pilot National Park.

state forest - a portion of the Crown estate wholly devoted to forestry purposes.

State Governor - the principal representative of the sovereign in an Australian State.

State of Origin - a 3-match battle between Australian Rugby League's two premier states, New South Wales and Qld. Players are chosen on a 'state of origin' basis rather than by which state they currently live in. For three matches the gameplay takes a sideline to hitups, hardhits and fighting. Many memorable hits have been thrown, and sometimes games are so overtaken by fighting and smashing the opposition that a match may end up 2-0 (4 points for a try and 2 points for a goal).