OUR SPECIES

Blackbutt Overview

The common name blackbutt came about due to the tree’s appearance after bushfire, whereby the buttress – or butt – was significantly darkened. It is also known as coastal blackbutt to distinguish it from the tableland species, New England blackbutt.
Due to its quick growth and versatility, blackbutt makes a good plantation timber. It is a commonly available commercial hardwood species in New South Wales and southern Queensland, often used for building framework.
The heartwood ranges from golden yellow to pale brown, although occasionally a slight pinkish colour may be present. The sapwood, which is not always easy to distinguish, is much paler in appearance and is resistant to attack by lyctid borer. Blackbutt has an even texture and generally straight grain making it appealing for interior use applications.
Blackbutt can be stained, painted or polished but there can be issues with painting because of its tendency to surface check. The high extractives of mature wood can cause problems with some adhesives, but this is much less of an issue with young regrowth wood. These extractives can also cause staining on painted surfaces exposed to the weather. Blackbutt machines well but is only fair for steam bending.
Blackbutt provides good fire resistance and is one of seven hardwood timber species that was found to be suitable by the Building Commission in Victoria for home construction in bushfire areas (provided it has a thickness greater than 18mm).
A strong, durable hardwood, blackbutt can be used for a range of structural, exterior and interior applications including framework, decking, flooring and poles.

Spotted Gum Overview

Spotted gum is one of Australia’s premium native hardwoods with a striking appearance and a high degree of natural durability and strength, making it an ideal timber for a variety of structural, exterior and interior applications. Architects and designers throughout the world value spotted gum timbers for their back-sawn grain structure, attractive markings and vibrant colour palette.
Spotted gum is the common name for four species that grow along the east coast of Australia, from northeast Victoria to the northern tablelands of Queensland, with some occurrence in western areas of southern Queensland. Sawn timber from these species is generally available throughout Australia. These species have straight, slender trunks with smooth bark that is shed in patches, giving the trees their characteristic spotted appearance.
The species referred to as spotted gum vary in appearance but not in durability class or other properties. The heartwood ranges from light brown through to dark red-brown hues. Sapwood is usually white to light brown in colour. The presence of a wavy grain can produce an attractive fiddle-back figure. The wood has a slightly greasy feel, a characteristic that aids machining and boring. Spotted Gum components that are 18mm thick or greater do not require fire retardant treatment for use in construction in bush-fire prone areas.
Spotted gum is used in engineering applications such as wharf and bridge construction, railway sleepers, cross-arms and mining timbers. It is suitable for a range of building applications, such as posts and poles, framing, flooring, lining, decking and cladding. Spotted gum is also used in the manufacture of veneer and plywood. Other applications include boatbuilding, tool and implement handles, polo sticks and diving boards. Compared to other Australian hardwoods, spotted gum is a minimal staining timber as it is less prone to bleed-through of tannins than other species. Spotted gum is also a good timber for carving and woodturning.

Forest Red Gum Overview

Forest red gum produces a reliable timber suited to a wide range of uses. The timber is highly durable with an extremely high density. It displays a tight interlocking grain alongside its lush red colour, making it excellent for applications where appearance and durability are important.
As the name suggests, forest red gum is a medium to tall forest tree. Trees of this species grow to a height of 20 to 50 metres, with a girth of up to two metres. The trunk is straight and is usually unbranched for more than half the total height of the tree, with limbs that are more steeply inclined than other eucalypt species. The bark is shed in irregular sheets, resulting in a smooth trunk surface, coloured in patches of white, grey and blue. Rough dark grey to black dead bark is retained at the base of the stem.
A versatile timber, forest red gum can be used in wharf and bridge construction, railway sleepers, cross-arms and mining timbers. It is suitable for all building members including posts and poles, framing, flooring, lining, decking and cladding. It is suitable for both indoor and outdoor furniture. As well as sawn and round applications, forest red gum is suitable for the manufacture of structural plywood.
Eucalyptus tereticornis, the most commercially important of the two sub-species, spreads from coastal south-eastern Victoria to southern Papua New Guinea. E. blakelyi subsp. blakelyi is found from northern Victoria through New South Wales and into southern Queensland. Timber appearance and properties are identical for both species. E. tereticornis sapwood is not susceptible to lyctid borer attack, unlike E. blakelyi. This species is not susceptible to termites.

IronBark Overview

Red ironbark is a handsome Australian hardwood that grows readily from Victoria through the western slopes of NSW into southern Queensland. As one of a very distinctive group of Australian eucalypts, the ironbarks, it can be easily recognised by its hard, deeply furrowed, rough bark ranging from a dark grey to black hue. It has been a preferred structural timber for over 200 years, due to its long-term performance in weather-exposed structural applications.
Red ironbark heartwood is a deep dark red to red-brown. By contrast, its sapwood is a distinctive pale yellow in colour. The timber’s texture is fine and even with an interlocked grain. It is extremely hardwearing and highly durable, allowing for wide range of external applications. However the timber is very hard to work, limiting some applications that require fine detailing. It is slow to dry and care needs to be taken to minimise surface checking.
Red ironbark is ideal for engineered structures that require excellent durability and strength, including wharf and bridge members, poles, railway sleepers, mining timbers. The timber is also suitable for all building construction materials from poles, framing, flooring, decking and cladding. Additionally, the wood is suitable for both indoor and outdoor furniture.
The red ironbark tree has a tendency towards piping, where a hollow forms in the trunk’s centre trunk and reduces recovery rates and sectional sizes of sawn timber.

Grey ironbark is a premium native hardwood that has been well regarded as a high quality timber in Australia throughout human history. Indigenous Australians use it to make spear throwers and boil its bark for treating sores.
It is a particularly hard, strong and durable timber, with a broad range of applications, due to its resistance to lyctid borers and termites.
The grey ironbark is a medium sized tree of 30 to 50m with a stem diameter of 1.5m. The bark is hard, coarse, with deep furrows and ridges, ranging from dark brown to black in colour and grows even on the small branches.
E. drepanophylla is found from northern New South Wales to Bundaberg, Queensland. It is also found in scattered patches as far north as the Atherton Tableland. E. paniculata is found in New South Wales only from Bega to Coffs Harbour.
A very heavy timber, at 1120 kilograms per cubic metre, grey ironbark is dense and can be difficult to work. Dressed surfaces take on a steely sheen.
The timber’s appearance ranges from reddish to dark brown heartwood. The sapwood is lighter in colour and is 20mm thick on average. Grain is usually tight and straight and no distinctive figure is encountered.
Both sawn and round grey ironbark timber have a wide range of applications. Engineering uses include railway sleepers, construction, poles and cross-arms, and bridge construction. Unseasoned timber is used in house framing, while dressed timber can be employed for both internal and external use. It has also been used in boat, coach, vehicle and carriage building and to create sporting goods.