Bishop Barker
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An Australian term used around Sydney for the largest glass of beer available, named from Frederick Barker (1808-82), Bishop of Sydney (consecrated 1854) who was a very tall man.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Bishop Barker” mean?
An Australian term used around Sydney for the largest glass of beer available, named from Frederick Barker (1808-82), Bishop of Sydney (consecrated 1854) who was a very tall man.
Is “Bishop Barker” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.