Wood Options From Sustainably Managed Forests
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Tasmanian Oak
Myrtle
Blackwood
Celery Top Pine
Sassafras
Huon Pine
Example of Tasmanian Oak on a sideboard
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Eucalypts occur over the length and breadth of Tasmania from high mountain
tops to the sea. The majority of species grow to form trees that are large
enough to be milled and used for construction. A more select group grow to
very large sizes and can be sawn and seasoned to provide high grade dry lumber.
The prime eucalypt timber offered commercially is known as Tasmanian
Oak. Three main species comprise the Tasmanian Oak brand:
Eucalyptus regnans - found in wetter sites and rainforest margins
E. obliqua - has a wide distribution occuring in wet forests but
also extending into drier areas.
E. delegatensis - occurs at higher altitudes
Tasmanian Oak is a dense hard-wearing timber with high impact
resistance. It is usually light in colour and can vary from straw to reddish
brown with intermediate shades of cream to pink. Segregation after the timber
is dried and dressed readily enables selections to be colour matched. Some
Tasmanian Oak is selected for character in the wood such as gum vein, and is
marketed as natural feature grade and this is readily available in the market
on request.
In Tasmania eucalypts may live for 400 years or more and regularly
attain a height of 70m. Some individuals have been recorded as reaching 100m.
Old growth trees may be 3-4m or more in diameter. Tasmanian Oak can be used in
all forms of construction as scantlings, panelling, and flooring and can be
glued for lamination to cover long spans. It finishes well and can be moulded
and shaped for furniture making. Veneers, ply, and engineered product are
available.
Over 1M hectares of eucalypt forest on public land are managed for
sustainable multiple uses that include tourism, recreation, timber
prtoduction, and conservation. There are also 2.7 M hectares of land secured
in dedicated reserves in which logging is not permitted. These reserves
comprise 40% of the area of the state. A substantial area of forested land is
owned privately and managed for its timber production.
An example of Myrtle on a sideboard
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Myrtle (Nothofagus cunninghamii) belongs to the same family as the beeches of
Europe. It is found in any of the wet forests across Tasmania, but most
frequently in the north west and west of the State. Provided that conditions
are moist and sheltered, the tree flourishes from sea level to the tree line.
Myrtle is a striking wood with rich red, brown, and almost orange tones.
It is believed that the richness of colour varies with the soil type. The
deepest red myrtle comes from the fertile and chocolate coloured soils that
derive from basalt.
This is a close grained species that often has a sheen and an individual
character that ranges from a smooth uniformity to wavy, fiddleback features.
While a pale pink myrtle is most readily available, commercial production
concentrates on the deeper red variety. It is a close grained species with
well defined annual rings but with little latewood.
Architects and furniture makers prize myrtle, partly because it is
capable of taking a high gloss finish. It is used a a solid veneer in high
quality furniture, joinery and cabinet making. It is also used as flooring and
feature panelling in homes and offices or as a striking finishing timber for
cornices, architraves and skirting. Myrtle's fine aesthetic qualities and its
tight grain make it excellent for furniture production as well as for turning
and craft work where burls and knotty wood are prized.
Myrtle regenerates continuously in the absence of fire, growing in
openings in the stand providing conditions are moist and sheltered. Myrtle is
unsuitable for growth in plantation as it can be susceptible to insect and
fungal attack in exposed areas. Future myrtle supplies will come from
selective harvesting of forests grown on long rotations.
Example of Blackwood used in one of Paul Mineur's marquetry jewellery boxes
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Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) is a member of the wattle family and a
hardwood. It occurs throughout Tasmania's native forests from sea level to
1000m in elevation but it thrives in swamp and riverine areas. It is also a
common understorey component of wet eucalypt forest. The swamps of northwest
Tasmania, where there are almost pure stands, have been a primary source of
high quality blackwood for more than a century. This resource has been the
cornerstone of Tasmania's fine furniture industry over that time.
The stunning timber radiates a subtle beauty that makes it irresistible
to Tasmanian designers. It boasts a variety of colours ranging from light
golden-brown to deep brown (sometimes with a reddish tint) and occasionally
shows black streaks. Additional character is in the grain, which can be
straight or wavy with a natural lustre. Tasmanian Blackwood is easily worked,
very stable and is long lasting. The finished piece is always a statement of
style and quality.
More recently the production of high quality veneers has increased the
versatility of Tasmanian Blackwood for joinery, cabinet making, and feature
panelling. Small cross sections of solid timber are also used for lamination,
particularly for bench tops.
About 9000 hectares of swamp forest are dedicated to Blackwood
silviculture on a sustained yield basis. Rotations are generally of the order
of 70 years for native forest. Blackwood is an easy tree to grow. A big
advantage for establishing blackwood forest is that its durable seed remains
viable in the soil for decades. After harvest, regeneration treatment involves
burning to encourage germination. Fencing is done to protect seedlings from
browsing wildlife such as pademelons, wallabies, and other native animals.
About 700 hectares of plantation have been established and more are
planned. These trees will be ready to harvest 40 years after planting. As a
result of sustainable management, Tasmania's talented designers will always
have access to a small but reliable supply. Equally the continuity of a unique
species favoured in the Australian furniture market is assured.
An example of Celery Top Pine used in the legs of a Stave Stool
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Celery Top (phyllocladus aspleniifolius) is a conifer native to Tasmania. It is named for its distinctive celery-like leaves and is best known as a hard and durable timber used, in the early days, for railway sleepers, stair treads and boats.
The species can be found over much of the forested area of Tasmania from wet areas in drier forests of the Northeast, to the rainforests of the far Southwest. It forms an understory component of wet forest or is dominant on wet soils with poor fertility. The diameter of mature trees ranges from 40 to 85 cm and they can reach 40m in height. They live for up to 800-900 years but ages of less than 350 years are common.
The timber is creamy white, darkeing to a mellow rosy gold hue over time and exposure to sunlight. It has distinct rings witha pronounced latewood and, being slow grown, this feature gives it a hardness, strength, and a denisity not expected of conifers.
It is easy to work, turns well and has long been employed in the traditonal crafts of boat building and spindle turning. The timber is valued for its durability and it withstands exposusre well. It provides a hard wearing surface for flooring and has an attractive fine-grained appearance. Features such as knots and other figure provide character to furniture constructed of Celery top. Knots are sound and hard, the timber planes and sands well and accepts varnish, stains, and paint readily.
The trees can be seen at Mt Field National Park and in most mature wet forests across Tasmania.
Example of Blackheart Sassafras
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This fine grained timber is classified into two types (Golden and Blackheart)
by it colour. Golden Sassafras has a pale creamy colour that develops a yellow
patina with age. Blackheart Sassafras has dark brown, black and even green
streaks running through the wood. This happens where the tree is infected with
a staining fungus (totally inactive when dried). Blackheart Sassafras is
highly prized for decorative work and no two pieces are ever the same.
Sassafras (Atherosperma moschatum) grows as an understorey species in
lower altitude wet forests throughout Tasmania. It is an aromatic evergreen
tree with some quite distictive qualities; the bark, sap and associated oils
are highly aromatic and smell like cinnamon. The leaves have a strong
sarsaparilla scent and are dark green, turning yellow as the tree ages. The
best trees are found in gullies where they may reach 45m high and almost a
metre in diameter.
The striking variations in Sassafras make it a popular timber for unique
and customised items. It is most commonly used in solid, veneer or laminated
forms. It is light and strong, is easily worked and has a density between
hardwood such as eucalypt and softwoods.
Example of Birds Eye Huon Pine
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Millions of years ago the earliest trees to evolve included some of the native
conifers such as the genera Lagarostrobos. Huon Pine is in the family
Podocarpaceae, the first pollen records of which date back 135 million years.
Huon Pine reaches a great age. Trees over 2000 years old have been dated,
placing the species among the longest lived organisms on earth. Some
specimens, still growing, could be over 5000 years old. Huon Pine is the most
prized rainforest timber in the world.
Huon Pine is easily recognised by its feathery foliage and drooping
branches and is similar in appearance to the common cypress. Distribution is
restricted to west and south-west Tasmanian where it occurs along river banks
and in scattered other wetter patches. In its natural state, Huon Pine grows
to 20 or 30 metres high, and some trees may reach 40 metres. When growing near
rivers, it is often a scruffy looking tree covered in lichens with branches
overhanging the water. Huon Pine is found only in rainforest, although in some
cases the 'rainforest' may only be a narrow margin, a few metres wide, on a
river bank.
The timber itself is a mellow, fine-textured wood with a characteristic,
pleasant fragrance. It seasons readily, has a low shrinkage, it is soft and
easily worked. Huon Pine is light in weight and has good nail-holding
properties. These characteristics, together with its stability and high
resistance to attack by rot and marine organisms, have earned Huon Pine a high
regard as a shipbuilding material. It is also highly prized for furniture
making, joinery, turning and the craft industry. The durability of the wood is
due to the presence of an essential oil which gives Huon Pine its unique
odour. The oil can represent as much as seven percent of the weight of the
wood and can be extracted by steam distillation.
The illustrated wooden photo album features Birdseye Huon Pine. This is
characterised by a high density of small tight knots and very fine twisted
grain.
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