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It's a fair clue in that the parsing works, but it relies on specialist knowledge which your average Pom wouldn't know. I know a fair bit about Aussie slang (having family Down Under), but I'd never come across that one.

I had never heard of the shearing derivation, but “gun” as expert has become quite popular in cricket parlance recently, e.g. gun fielder. Presumably started in Australia too.

“Apparently, a gun could shear a sheep in just a few graceful movements leaving the fleece in one piece and no nicks on the animal. New shearers were referred to as Santa Claus because the poor animal would have nicks all over and bits of white fleece, like Santa's beard, still hanging off them”

Who knew?