Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"shirk responsibility," 1919, Australian and New Zealand slang, earlier "be a prostitute's pimp," from bludger "pimp."
Wiktionary
n. 1 (context Australia New Zealand slang English) The act of bludging. 2 (context Australia New Zealand slang English) Easy work. vb. 1 (context Australia obsolete slang English) To live off the earnings of a prostitute. 2 (context Australia New Zealand slang English) To not earn one's keep, to live off someone else or off welfare when one could be working. 3 (context Australia New Zealand slang English) To avoid one's responsibilities; to leave it to others to perform duties that one is expected to perform. 4 (context Australia New Zealand slang English) To do nothing, to be idle, especially when there is work to be done. 5 (context Australia New Zealand slang English) To take some benefit and give nothing in return.
Usage examples of "bludge".
I remember in her story of Otho Bludge, the prehistoric artist, that she told us about certain woods he used to make handles for his flint chisels and other tools and household implements.
In the Days Before There Was a Moon, as Grandmother always began, Otho Bludge was a man alone, a man apart.
He wanted her company, poor Otho Bludge, the carver of horn, the man apart.
Not long after apparently Otho Bludge, the carver of horn and the man apart, just disappeared, completely, as though the Earth had swallowed him up.
Yes, he admitted, he probably was Otho Bludge, the prehistoric artist.
Otho Bludge, the Stone Age artist, who was blown off the Earth when the Moon set herself up in the sky.
Then there was being half squoze to a pulp, and then three-quarters drownded, and then nine-tenths bludged to death, and then having his hoof punctuated.
He'd been brought up to believe that decent people worked hard and those who didn't were bludging parasites who expected others to look after them and pay their way.
You’re a typical spaceman, always bludging on the scientists and technologists.