BUILDING REQUIREMENTS OF SYDNEY. 1005 
No. 10.—A REVIEW OF SOME OF THE CONDITIONS 
OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND REQUIRE- 
MENTS OF SYDNEY—PAST AND PRESENT. 
By G. Atien MANSFIELD. 
(Read Tuesday, 11 January, 1898.) 
[ Abstract]. 
To one who has watched the growth of building enterprise in 
Sydney from comparatively early days to the present time, it is 
interesting to note the gradual development, both of the con- 
structive art, and of the demands made upon upon it by the 
manners and customs of the people of the period. 
It may fairly be questioned whether this subject is strictly 
appropriate to a scientific gathering, such as we have here to-day ; 
but it has been thought by some whose opinions are entitled to 
respect, that a record of such growth and development during a 
period of nearly half a century of Australian progress would not 
be without a certain value. 
Those who are now beginning the study and practice of the 
building art, can hardly realise the difficulties that beset the 
pioneers of Architecture at the date of the half century. 
The student who at that day set himself to work to study the 
theory and practice of Architecture laboured under many and 
great disadvantages. 
The education of the eye plays a most important part wherever 
in a course of training “ Art” is a prominent feature of the study. 
A proper appreciation of its principles, and a familiarity with its 
application to practical work, can best be gained by observation 
and study of executed work. No amount of theory, or reading 
of books, can supply the knowledge which comes from an intelli- 
gent study of good examples. Opportunities for such study 
were, in the early days, conspicuous by their absence. The 
number of properly trained and educated architects was very 
limited, and their works were of no great importance ; so that 
the student had for the most part to fall back upon the informa- 
tion supplied by books and illustrations, supplemented by such 
teaching as his master thought fit to give him—generally not 
over much, 
