G'day Gary,
The female coupling you describe would be suitable for one hose, but the other one needs the male connector. To screw it in my mate would have to twist 10's of metres of hose. Besides, once you've used our quick connects you'd never go back.

The ID of the hose is 12 mm - they go about 15 mm OD.

This is an Aussie plastic kit with 2 hose ends - they clamp to the hose (orange end) and provide the quick connect receptacle (blue/green end), then there is the tap (faucet?) adapter and in this case a trigger nozzle rather than the male threaded coupler I need. These ones are plastic and, of course, in BSP rather than the SAE(?) thread used in the states.

http://www.mitre10.com.au/Gardening-and-...amp;catalogue=0

Mac's offer of barb ends got me to thinking about whether I could manufacture something from those and locally sourced brass quick connect fittings so we can use Australian quick connect hose ends. This has got me to thinking further about what SAE thread brass tubing that may be available here to use in the manufacture of the couplings I need.

I will continue to be in touch with Mac and I'm sure that I'll get things sorted out.

Mac, I'd like to public thank you for your gracious offer of assistance which I will gladly take you up on if I still need to.

--=-- My credo: If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing - just ask my missus, she'll tell ya laugh --=--
You're only paranoid if you're wrong!