Litespeed

Ah, that is for the slow roasting of drop bears. No seriously, I all depends and is hard to say without seeing the building including its substructure before it became a ruin. Debris can make it hard to tell what the real floor structure and what was underneath originally. Some were to slowly radiate heat into the floor for heat and to keep the flooring dry, many had cob floors- mud basically. It also helps in keeping the moisture seeping through the soil from around and under the building. Same goes for those built on piers with a wooden floor, it keeps under the floor dry and warms it slowly. That's a educated guess. Another possible reason is to ensure the cool cellar in the floor does not freeze in winter. Many old homes had a cool cellar in the floor in the kitchen or close to the fire. It helped regulate the temp for the food stores and provide a low moisture environment. I have seen this setup before. I would expect it is a throw back from the English times exported to Australia and adapted. The building of fire systems with dual use and even pumped water/air heating goes all the way back to the Romans who were experts and refined it to high art. I will look into further and see what I can find.

I, many moons ago was a chimney sweeper and even built fires of many designs, restored ancient stoves etc.

Open fires are very inefficient but a quality slow combustion design can be very efficient and have low emissions. Add a water jacket and you get hot water and lots of it. The best designs are multi burn chambers that have large mass and can even duct water to small radiators around the home or blown air. And naturally you can add a oven and hotplates ala kitchen stove. A thermal mass rocket stove is a good example if designed well, can be a extremely efficient converter of wood to heat with very low emissions. And it is using carbon that is in the earths carbon cycle. So its net effect on climate change is zero. Its the energy sources that rely on carbon Long buried that have fubared the climate. No I am not advocating all should be burning trees for heat. But it can be great in certain circumstances. Naturally we should be planting billions of trees for the sake of the planet and local environment. Since trees suck the most carbon in their early years then selective logging and planting of many dozens of trees for every one felled, you can actually reduce carbon dioxide in the air. But please no cutting of the oldies with holes etc. Animals call that home..

Suzuki splinter

Yep I rather play games in the bath with a big salt water croc, at least I might have a chance. Or a shark, at least you can punch the bugger in the nose and hope that discourages the bugger. Or maybe swimming lessons with Africa's deadliest animal, the hippopotamus. And that bugger is all bad attitude, it doesn't even eat meat. But just loves to kill anything that goes in the water. Any of the above is still a lot better than a snow balls chance in hell

True but he seems to pick em with lits of added plastic

And you can bet the ALP had the coatings done by the correct government department. Rather than a fly by night accounting firm that was a donor, which was so bad they got a ban. The libs pulled this trick the last 3 elections.

Yep that's the cretin. I am sure he started his mid life crisis in 1980, and is still going.

Ben the Kodiak bear at Macquarie uni is a very big boy, they are the largest of all bears. He is or was in the biology department. His head is easily 3 feet deep nose to back of skull. Would swallow a head easily. His paws were 2 feet plus nails 1 foot long and sharp like blades. No land animal would have a chance. Would make a tiger the biggest of all cats look like a house kitten. Fortunately Kodiak island is a long way from here.

Ah, Dr edelstein, that brings back memories. I remember his practice at Baulkham Hills, it had pink carpets, musk leather lounges and tacky gold mirrors on the walls and gross chandeliers. And that was the good parts. He did however have a very hot young wife with a pink De Tomaso Pantera. Pratlys pink pantera was the nickname. The quality of corporatised medicine has been downhill ever since.

Must be the Brexit version. Only a Brit would add electricity to a shower and think its a great idea.

The ALP have a much more experienced government team that the actual government.

Did they market the horse float version, No they did not. Neil I think as per normal you have the cart before the horse. You will forever get covered in horsepoo that way. But will you actually notice?

Yes they were drunk when meeting and discussing here in Australia, at meetings to plan trip to America. Drunk booking tickets, drunk having meetings at gun lobbyists, drunk asking for money from NRA. Drunk on power and treason. Naturally that means in innocence. Pauline and co have trouble with spelling and meaning. What they mistook for reasonable actions. They forgot to add the T from the Tea party. Yes that's reason with a Trumpet........., or Treason to the rest of us.

I have always seen him as the Prime Munster

Hydrogen is the future, the perfect chemical battery.

I don't think even a Babblefish could translate that.

DAMN THAT KID IS A STAR

Must be needing glasses. Dad, your son is a bitch.

You can bet if the producers co-ops pushed up the price the big woolcols would claim price fixing to the ACCC. Also the very co-ops have actively screwed their members and are run like corporates. Some ripped members then sold to big milk at pittance. Most dairy farmers have been royally screwed from all sides.

Agreed, just plug it into the OBD port, bingo

Funny you should mention making bricks..... Did you know Wombat poo is square? Weird

I remember the days when homes had a actual hallway. It had a little seat combo to take the phone and phone book. And a red dial phone. It was great as mum had the thing welded to her ear and the family were far away out of earshot.

Good man Spacey, as captain I always sit at back. I control the motor Can slack off when paddling Better access to beer esky, this is vital.

Always a difficult topic, it is all too easy too assume the male party is at fault. Mind you that is often the case, but plenty of exceptions. My brother has suffered 10 years of toxicity from his ex who use the family court and police and their child as a tool of control and blatant harassment. He does however have a uncanny ability to select women with personality disorders. I remember one mistaking me for him,( we are twins). She tried very hard to run me down in her car twice. Back in the 80's a dvo against a women was not a thing.