The name comes from a corruption of "
dry as a bone", a driza-bone is an
Australian oilskin raincoat.
Driza-bones have been made in
Australia for at least 100 years, and have established themselves as traditional outback
gear. The typical coat is designed for horseback, with a broad
pleated split in the back and straps to go about the
shins. They gained a lot of popularity through their appearance in the movie
The Man from Snowy River.
I had long thought that a driza-bone was made of leather, so when I discovered it wasn't, I asked the assistant in the
Sydney Gowings how durable it was. He replied by pointing out the display coat and saying, "that one was made in
1920."
The fabric is a tough
cotton impregnated with oil. The care instructions can be summarised as "take out the back and hose it down every couple of years, and
she'll be right". A driza-bone improves with age.