Various things spring to mind:

(1) As part of what I assume to be a global swing to bottled "mineral" or "spring" waters, it's not uncommon to see a clay water dispenser in the kitchens and lunch rooms of Oz. Whilst the big plastic bottles are far more common, the unglazed or partly glazed clay equivalent are present in force.

(2) Intrigued to see the use of the word "bubbler". This is what we called them in the schoolyards and parks of Sydney, but you get a blank stare when you use the word here in Perth (on the other side of the country). Over here it's the far more "pucka" English: "drinking fountain". What's the word where YOU are?

(3) Sash cords in Oz have always been made from cotton rope. It must be a braided rather than wound rope or it won't run through the rollers effectively. The weights are cast iron - may have been lead once upon a time, but I doubt it.

(4) Sisal water bags have always been an important part of Australia, their constant weeping keeps the contents cool through evaporation. Whilst you don't see them a lot any more, they're readily available at camping stores and those quaint general stores in the bush that carry EVERYTHING! There is even a "flash" model with a leather backing plate and buckles so you can affix it it to the tray or roo bar of your vehicle. When referring to a REALLY hot day, old timers and rural folk may say, "It was about 120 degrees in the water bag"

(5) The "smell" of rain is technically incorrect - water by definition has no smell. The beautiful earthy smell immediately before a downpour on a hot dusty day is actually how your nose inteprets the spores of certain soil bacteria - released as the humidity level approaches 100%!! (In microbiol classes we were asked to identify certain bacteria and fungi by their smell. It was fascinating to see people's faces when they smelt the "rainy" dish - eyes would widen and a big smile would spread across their face - usually with the comment, "It smells like a thunderstorm!")

stales