The Australian forestry and building industries continue to thrive and there’s certainly no shortage of exquisite hardwoods and versatile softwoods when it comes to native Australian timbers. Often overlooked in favour of imported timbers, using Australian wood for building and woodworking projects comes with a host of benefits including sustainable forestry management, a local supply chain, and on-going employment. Best of all, Australian native timbers have become well-known for their durability, versatility and premium colours and finishes.
This week the Versace Timbers team takes a look at 4 of the most popular native Australian timbers, where they’re grown and what they are commonly used for.
4 Popular Native Australian Timbers
Spotted Gum
Spotted Gum (Citriodora) has quickly become one of the best known and premium native Australian timbers owing to its high degree of durability and strength. With variations in medium brown hues, Spotted Gum is prized by architects and homeowners alike and has a long history of being used in the Australian woodworking industry. Found growing along the east coast of Australia it is an ideal timber for structural, internal and external applications including timber flooring, structural timber, external cladding, staircases, landscaping, mouldings, decking and so much more.
Ironbark
Ironbark is a well-known Australian hardwood timber and is actually comprised of several species in the Eucalyptus genus. Ranging in colour from the distinctive Red Ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxlon) to the premium Grey Ironbark (Eucalyptus paniculata), Ironbark has a wide distribution range from Victoria up to southern Queensland. Prized for its excellent durability and strength, it is ideal for projects that require a long-lasting and durable hardwood such as railway sleepers, wharf and bridgework, and external home applications from outdoor furniture and decking.
Blackbutt
Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis) also known as Coastal Blackbutt is another durable hardwood in the Eucalyptus genus. Pale to pink-brown, it has a seasoned density of 900kg/m3 and is commercially available due to its quick growth rate. One of the more well-known Native Australian timbers, it is commonly grown as a plantation hardwood in New South Wales and is used for a wide range of applications where a strong, durable hardwood is called for including structural timber, decking, flooring, poles, external cladding, staircases and more.
Australian Red Cedar
Not to be confused with Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata), a softwood commonly found across British Columbia and nearby western states of the USA; Red Cedar or ‘Australian Red Cedar’ (Toona ciliata) is a durable, yet soft hardwood found in the eastern states of Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines. Australian Red Cedar is a native Australian hardwood used in furniture and for a range of decorative applications such as panelling, veneers, boat building, and carving, it has a pinkish-red to dark reddish-brown colour and is easily workable and finishes well.
Interested to find out more?
At Versace Timbers, we stock a wide range of Australian native timbers and our knowledgeable timber supplies Brisbane team is always on hand to provide friendly advice on projects big or small. If you’d like to find out more about any of the native Australian wood we featured in this article or to order speciality Australian timber, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on (07) 3266 9000, or visit us at our Virginia yard today.e