"Billy Baxter" is the third single by Australian rock group Paul Kelly and the Dots which was released on 20 October 1980, ahead of the related album, Talk (March 1981). It was written by band members Paul Kelly and Chris Langman. It peaked at No. 38 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. The song was produced by Joe Camilleri (from Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons) for Mushroom Records. In early November the group performed the track on national pop music TV show, Countdown – it was Kelly's first TV appearance. The song's subject, Billy Baxter, is an Australian musician and was a long term member of Coodabeens Footy Show on ABC Radio National.

Paul Kelly and the Dots had formed in August 1978 in Melbourne from the remains of High Rise Bombers, the Dots underwent line-up changes prior to the release of "Billy Baxter". Their debut single "Recognition" was issued in 1979, under the name The Dots, on an independent label, but had no chart success. "Recognition" line-up were Kelly (vocals), Chris Langman (guitars), Chris Worrall (guitars), Paul Gadsby (bass guitar) and John Lloyd (drums). More changes occurred, they signed to Mushroom Records and released "Billy Baxter" on 20 October 1980, which peaked at No. 38 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. In early November that year, Paul Kelly & the Dots performed "Billy Baxter" on national pop music TV show, Countdown – it was Kelly's first appearance on television.

Their debut album, Talk followed in March 1981 and peaked at No. 44 on the related albums chart. Kelly was later dissatisfied with his earliest albums: "I wish I could grab the other two and put 'em in a big hole".

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