1844. John Rae, `Sydney Illustrated,' p. 26:
"The `brickfielder' is merely a colonial name for a violent gust of wind, which, succeeding a season of great heat, rushes in to supply the vacuum and equalises the temperature of the atmosphere; and when its baneful progress is marked, sweeping over the city in thick clouds of brick-coloured dust (from the brickfields), it is time for the citizens to close the doors and windows of their dwellings, and for the sailor to take more than half his canvas in, and prepare for a storm."
[Here the characteristic is again <i>dust</i> from the brickfields, as the origin of the name, with cold as an accompaniment.]
1844. Mrs.Meredith, `Notes and Sketches of New South Wales,' p. 44:
"These dust winds are locally named `brickfielders,' from the direction in which they come" [i.e. from neighbouring sandhills, called the brickfields].
[Here <i>dust</i> is the only characteristic observed, with the direction of the wind as the origin of its name.]
1845. J. O. Balfour, `Sketch of New South Wales,' p. 4:
"The greatest peculiarity in the climate is what is called by colonists a brickfielder. This wind has all the characteristics of a sirocco in miniature . . . . Returning home, he discovers that the house is full of sand; that the brickfielder has even insinuated itself between the leaves of his books; at dinner he will probably find that his favourite fish has been spoiled by the brickfielder. Nor is this all; for on retiring to rest he will find that the brickfielder has intruded even within the precincts of his musquito curtains."
[Here again its <i>dust</i> is noted as the distinguishing feature of the wind, just as sand is the distinguishing feature of the `sirocco' in the Libyan Desert, and precipitated sand,—`blood rain' or `red snow,'—a chief character of the sirocco after it reaches Italy.]
1847. Alex. Marjoribanks, `Travels in New South Wales,' p. 61: