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A lot of clay has fl owed through the kilns since the 1989 Newcastle earthquake. Several signifi cant changes have occurred to make masonry veneer construction safer and stronger over this period, both in the methods of construction of the veneer and the understanding of the behaviour of the veneer panels. These changes have lead to the conclusion that masonry veneer construction can be reliably considered to provide some bracing resistance to a light timber-framed structure, even if only to resist its own inertial loads. Recent research undertaken at BRANZ has investigated the behaviour of full-scale brick veneer single- and two-storey buildings under slow static and dynamic cyclic loading. This paper describes the developments that have occurred since 1989 and this recent research that has provided the new confi dence in the seismic performance of clay brick veneer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the earliest British colonization of Australia, draughtsmen and watercolourists were eager to depict their new home. A demand for paintings in the more permanent and prestigious medium of oil was met by many of these first artists, even though most were not trained in this medium. In the first 40 years, artists often depended on personal patrons and friends in Britain for the supply of painting materials. The problems of shortages led to some improvisation and substitution of materials. By the 1830s the number of professionally trained British artists who had emigrated to Australia had increased, and the supply of artists' materials had also become more reliable. This early period, greatly dependent on irregular supplies from England, was followed by rapid commercial development of the colonies and faster shipping which ensured that new materials and techniques from England quickly appeared in the Australian colonies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]