To the early settlers in Australia, and to modern day Australians who want to celebrate being Australian, billy tea is the only drink to make. The early settlers could carry some dry tea leaves in a twist of paper very easily. And then all they needed to make billy tea was a small fire, some water, and a billy. Tea was probably the preferred drink, rather than coffee, because it was cheap, easily obtained from the Asian countries nearby, and because the early settlers were mainly of British origins.
- A billy, usually about 500ml or 1 pint capacity (larger for a group of people, but probably not larger than 1 litre or 1 quart). Enough water to fill the billy, leaving enough room so that the boiling water does not spill over and put out the fire.
- Fresh water from the rain or from a safe creek is preferred to processed water from the kitchen tap.
- A handful of tea leaves.
- A small camp fire.
- A stick to stir the tea in the billy (clean or not - your preference).
- A drinking mug, preferably metal - either enamel or steel.
- A small branch of gum (eucalypt) tree leaves (optional) - the leaves can be added to the boiling billy for added flavour, especially the leaves of the lemon-scented gum.
- Sugar to taste - to be added to the tea in the drinking mug, never to the billy (optional - but the early settlers would probably not have had it).
- Milk - to be added to the tea in the drinking mug, never to the billy (optional - but the early settlers would probably not have had it).
- Fill the billy with water and hang it over the fire.
- When the water is boiling, throw in the tea leaves. Take the billy away from the fire.
- You can stir the mixture with the stick, but all that really does is to add the flavour of the stick. Otherwise, just let it stand for a few minutes.
- Now you need to get the tea leaves to settle to the bottom of the billy. One way is to hold the billy by one handle and swing it, at full arm stretch, in a wide vertical circle. Centrifugal force sends the tea leaves to the bottom of the billy. Don't be timid when you do this, or the result is somewhat different - and painful. If you are not brave enough to try that method, just tap the sides of the billy with the stick.
- Pour the tea into the drinking mug, and add sugar and milk if you want it.
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