# Smoko

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Short break taken during work

For other uses, see [Smoko (disambiguation)](/source/Smoko_(disambiguation)).

A painting titled *Smoko time with the [AWLA](/source/Australian_Women's_Land_Army)*

An opal miner on a smoko in [Lightning Ridge, New South Wales](/source/Lightning_Ridge%2C_New_South_Wales)

In [Australian](/source/Australian_English), [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand_English), [Falkland](/source/Falkland_Islands_English), and [Antarctic English](/source/Antarctic_English) a **smoko** (also "smoke-o" or "smoke-oh") is a short, often informal break taken during work or military duty, although any short break such as a rest or a [coffee or tea break](/source/Coffee_break) can be called a smoko. Among [sheep shearers](/source/Sheep_shearers) in Australia, the smoko is a mid-morning break, between breakfast and lunch, in which a light meal may be eaten.[1]

There is a town in [Victoria](/source/Victoria_(Australia)), Australia called [Smoko](/source/Smoko%2C_Victoria), which "gained its name in 1865 because gold seekers regularly stopped here for a smoke and a rest on their way to and from the goldfields".[2]

The term is believed to have originated in the [British Merchant Navy](/source/British_Merchant_Navy),[3] and was in use as early as 1857.[4] The term is still in use in the British Merchant Navy today. The tradition of a smoko in the Australian sense seems to have begun amongst [sheep shearers](/source/Sheep_shearer) in the 1860s.[5]

Although a slang term, the word "smoko" has been used in government writing and industrial relations reports to mean a short work break.[6] The term achieved broader awareness in the [United States](/source/United_States) and [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom) following the popularity of the song "[Smoko](/source/Smoko_(song))" by Australian band [The Chats](/source/The_Chats).[7]

## Smoko as an Australian institution

The smoko break in Australia has become an institution symbolic of working culture and even of workers' rights. The [Australian Industrial Relations Commission](/source/Australian_Industrial_Relations_Commission) has arbitrated cases of industrial action over workers' entitlement to a smoko break.[8]

There are, however, considerable health and productivity concerns about smoke breaks, and non-smoking workers are sometimes concerned that their smoking colleagues take more time on breaks.[9]

In 2006, the Australian government's [Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources](/source/Department_of_Industry%2C_Tourism_and_Resources) banned the "smoko" from its [Canberra](/source/Canberra) offices,[10] prompting then Health Minister [Tony Abbott](/source/Tony_Abbott) to declare that the "smoko has had its day".[11] In January 2010 the Health Department announced a ban on its employees taking cigarette breaks, or "smokos."[12]

## See also

- [Australia portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Australia)
- [New Zealand portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:New_Zealand)

- [Break (work)](/source/Break_(work))

- [Siesta](/source/Siesta)

- [Smoking in Australia](/source/Smoking_in_Australia)

- [Smoking in New Zealand](/source/Smoking_in_New_Zealand)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** McDonald, Roger (1992). *Shearers' Motel*. Sydney: Picador. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-330-27351-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-330-27351-5).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Mevissen, Andrew (4 June 2006). ["Weird place names"](http://www.theage.com.au/news/take-five/weird-place-names/2006/06/02/1148956534047.html). *[The Age](/source/The_Age)*. Retrieved 29 September 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Lind, Lewis James (1982). *Sea Jargon: A Dictionary of the Unwritten Language of the Sea*. Sydney: Kangaroo Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-949924-22-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-949924-22-9).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Ayto, J.; Simpson, J., eds. (1992). *The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang*. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["The Australian Tobacco Timeline"](https://web.archive.org/web/20091011224235/http://tobacco.health.usyd.edu.au/site/supersite/resources/pdfs/TLbefore1950s.pdf) (PDF). *[University of Sydney](/source/University_of_Sydney)*. Archived from [the original](http://tobacco.health.usyd.edu.au/site/supersite/resources/pdfs/TLbefore1950s.pdf) (PDF) on 11 October 2009. Retrieved 29 September 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Glossary of common industrial relations terms"](http://www.wageline.qld.gov.au/glossary/index.html#smoko). *Department of Employment and Industrial Relations (Queensland)*. Retrieved 29 September 2018.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Scott, Tim (21 February 2018). ["The Chats tell us how they cooked up Smoko"](https://www.redbull.com/au-en/the-chats-smoko-interview). [Red Bull](/source/Red_Bull). Retrieved 22 June 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Application to Stop or Prevent Industrial Action"](http://www.airc.gov.au/documents/Transcripts/171002c20025121.htm). *[Australian Industrial Relations Commission](/source/Australian_Industrial_Relations_Commission)*. 17 October 2002. Retrieved 29 September 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Workplace 'smoko' unfair"](http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/10/22/1066631476925.html). *[The Sydney Morning Herald](/source/The_Sydney_Morning_Herald)*. 22 October 2003. Retrieved 29 September 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** McKenzie, Sheena (7 October 2006). ["Ban the smoko? No way, gasp diehard smokers"](http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/ban-the-smoko-no-way-gasp-diehard-smokers/2006/10/06/1159641529602.html). *[The Age](/source/The_Age)*. Retrieved 29 September 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Abbott says smoko has had its day"](http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Abbott-says-smoko-has-had-its-day/2006/10/06/1159641504127.html). *[The Age](/source/The_Age)*. 6 October 2006. Retrieved 29 September 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Wallace, Natasha (13 January 2010). ["Health Department bans staff smoke breaks"](http://www.smh.com.au/national/health-department-bans-staff-smoke-breaks-20100111-m2si.html). *The Sydney Morning Herald*. Retrieved 29 September 2018.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Smoko](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoko) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoko?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.