LOOSE CHANGE

Among the fascinating items at Leonard Joel's Decorative Arts and Furniture auction last month were two imposing oak chairs used for 70 years at the Melbourne Stock Exchange. These gothic revival-style chairs were a feature of the exchange until close-of-call trading in 1961. They sold for $15,000 each.

HIGHLY HISTORIC HUT

Sydney's Historic Houses Trust has announced the second project in its Endangered Houses Fund. It's a Nissen hut (above) from the postwar migrant hostel at Belmont North, near Newcastle. This is one of the few remaining hostels in close-to-original condition. After restoration, the hut will be sold freehold to fund future projects. Frank Lowy's Westfield Group, a big sponsor of the EHF, has donated another $25,000.

LET'S GO TO THE VIDEO REFEREE

As mentioned in Restaurant & Catering magazine, many cafes, bars and restaurants are placing PC-integrated cameras above their tills, so all transactions are linked to video footage. One restaurateur claims to have reduced internal theft from 11 per cent to 1.5 per cent. The system also comes in handy with the old "I gave you $100 but you only gave me change for $50" trick.