"The second half is going to be much more challenging, " said Stephen Walters, chief economist at JP Morgan.

BBC: Australia's economic growth slows in second quarter

Stephen Walters, chief economist at JP Morgan, said there was some "static" in the data with volatility in high density housing data in New South Wales helping to skew the result, but added it was still clear that a downtrend is underway in housing.

WSJ: Australia Housing to Drag on Growth

By contrast, "The Last of the Haussmans, " Stephen Beresford's new work at the National Theatre's Lyttelton, features Julie Walters as Judy Haussman, an elderly hippy windbag who makes the kind of ditsy, dirty speeches that would shock your socks off if spoken by your grandmother.

WSJ: Review: Making a Drama of Diplomacy | 'Democracy' at the Old Vic | 'Last of the Haussmans' at the National Theatre