Email: smartoak@iinet.net.au
Phone: +61 3 6231 9095
Tasmanian Oak is the name used for three
species of eucalypt hardwoods that are marketed collectively.
E. delegatensis grows at higher
altitudes, while E. regnans is found
in wetter sites. E. obliqua has a
wide distribution, occurring in wet forests but also extending into drier
areas. The name Tasmanian Oak was originally used by early European timber
workers who believed the eucalypts showed the same strength as English Oak.
Tasmanian Oak colours vary from straw
to reddish brown with intermediate shades of cream to pink and tonings of green
to grey. It is recognised for its excellent staining qualities, which allow
ready matching with other timbers, finishes or furnishings.
It can be used in all forms of construction as panelling and
flooring, and can be glue-laminated to cover long spans. Veneers, plywood and
engineered products are also available. It is also a popular furniture timber.
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.
Boasting a variety of colours ranging from light golden-brown to
deep brown (sometimes with a reddish tint) and occasionally showing black
streaks, the timber radiates a subtle beauty.
Blackwood is easily worked, very stable and long lasting, and
Blackwood artefacts are always statements of style and quality.
Silver Wattle, (Acacia dealbata), is
closely related to Blackwood, Silver Wattle provides a counterpoint to this
darker species.
Silver Wattle is a
striking light brown to subtle pink timber. Silver Wattle’s lighter tones mean
it is increasingly in demand for furniture.
Available in both solid
and veneer, the wood is fairly tough. When planed and dressed, it produces a
very smooth surface for furniture and polishes well.
Tasmanian Myrtle, (Nothofagus cunninghamii), although recently reclassified as Lophozonia cunninghamii is
found in any of the wet forests across Tasmania, provided that conditions are
moist and sheltered, the tree flourishes from sea level to the tree line.
Tasmanian Myrtle
is a striking wood with rich red, brown and
almost orange tones. It makes an excellent veneer and finishing timber. The
deepest red myrtle comes from highly fertile soils on basalt. It is a close
grained species with well-defined annual rings but with little latewood.
Myrtle’s fine aesthetic
qualities are matched by its working properties. It is particularly easy to
work and makes an excellent veneer. Taking
on a deep lustre when polished, Myrtle is prized by architects and furniture
makers alike.