The Age (My Career p. 17) has a good piece on waller and sculptor, Alistair Tune that says:
He is one of the few people in Australia who still works creating and maintaining dry stone walls in the volcanic plains and farming country of Western Victoria. …..If maintained, a wall will last many lifetimes as opposed to a post and wire fence. They have endured many bushfires and even proven to be a significant firebreak. …..Patience is the key, knowing there is a spot for every stone. There are a few important fundamentals that, no matter what scale of wall or structure, are critical to a well-built wall and are techniques that have remained unchanged for hundreds if not thousands of years.
The link is not yet available.