Acacia Cedar - Albizia toona

Acacia Cedar is a medium sized rainforest tree growing mostly in the coastal and mountain rainforests of mid to far north Queensland. It can reach heights of 30m (105ft) and a diameter of 1m (3ft).

Acacia Cedar has several other local names depending mainly on the geographical area in which it occurs. These include Red Siris and Mackay Cedar.

The heartwood ranges in colour from deep red through to brown often with streaks of yellow. The wood is also frequently figured with fiddleback patterns ranging from broad bands to densely packed narrow bars which resemble rippled sand. The sometimes extreme figuring makes Acacia Cedar one of the most striking figurewood timbers available.

Acacia Cedar is a very highly regarded furniture timber and is also used extensively as a craft timber and for sculpture due to it's easy working characteristics.

Silver Ash - Flindersia bourjotiana

Queensland Silver Ash grows in the coastal rainforests of eastern Queensland from the southern border to the far north. The trees attain heights of up to 35m (115ft) with girths up to a meter (3ft). Silver Ash yields timber of creamy, almost white, colouration with a distinctive sweet aroma.

Silver Ash is one of a small number of "true blonde" woods. It makes a wonderful feature timber, especially when contrasted with a red timber like jarrah. As a furniture timber, Silver Ash is predictable and very stable and often exhibits very subtle figuring, particularly when quartersawn.

New Guinea Rosewood - Pterocarpus indicus

New Guinea Rosewood is a medium-sized rainforest hardwood growing throughout southeast Asia, the Philippines, Borneo and New Guinea. It has also been reported that specimens also exist in far north Queensland, although in far from commercial quantities.

New Guinea Rosewood is used extensively in fine furniture making and also craftwork and sculpture. The wood exhibits a background yellowish colour although it's appearance varies widely with streaks and birdseyes of red, often with fiddleback. The grain pattern becomes striking in areas where branches intersect with trunk sections.

Although considered somewhat bland by many furniture makers, New Guinea Rosewood is a sensational timber for bowl crafting and sculpture. It's long grain pattern also lends itself beautifully to production of salad servers. Matching bowls are possible where availability of large enough timber boles allows.

Spotted Gum - Eucalyptus maculata

Spotted Gum is a very tall tree growing in open coastal forests from Victoria all the way to far northern Queensland. It attains heights of up to 50m (160ft) and diameters up to 1.5m (5ft) with almost perfectly straight trunk sections devoid of branches for over half of its height.

The latter feature, together with it's excellent strength characteristics and slightly greasy nature cemented this timber as one of Australia's principal heavy boatbuilding timbers during the past 200 years.

Although Spotted Gum is not generally used for furniture making or craftwork, it finishes extremely well due to it's close and hard grain. Stability of the timber is good once properly dry and it is extremely strong. Spotted Gum is an excellent choice of timber for kitchen utensils.

Red Mahogany - Eucalyptus resinifera

Red Mahogany, also known as Red Stringybark, grows between the lowland coastal rainforests, across the Great Dividing Range and into the drier hinterland open forests. It's range is extensive, occuring as far south as Sydney and ranging to far north Queensland.

Red Stringybarks reach heights of 45m (150ft) in ideal conditions with girths up to 1.5m (5ft). A dominant eucalypt species of the fragile coastal wet schlerophyll zone, Red Stringies are valued for their deep red, often highly figured, heavy timber.

Although red mahogany has been used extensively as a construction timber, including bridge building, it has also been favoured as a furniture timber.

Tulip Oak - Heritiera actinophylla

Tulip Oak is a very large rainforest hardwood growing usually above 600m altitude in coastal Queensland and New South Wales rainforests. Tulip Oak reaches heights of 50m (160ft) and girths of up to 1.7m (6ft) around it's prominently butressed base.

There is some variation in the scientific classification of this tree and several varieties are found in far north Queensland which may be a separate or sub-species of the more widely distributed form.

Tulip Oak wood ranges from dull brown through grey to various shades of pink and red - hence the local names of Red, Grey Tulip Oak, etc. The wood is hard and fairly heavy and both end-grain and surface splits readily if cut faces are exposed to air without substantial drying control. Even so-called kiln-dried timber from this tree will surface-check easily. Once items made from this timber are dried in a controlled environment and finished, the wood presents no further problems and remains stable.

Tulip Oak exhibits a strong 'oaky' grain and some medullary ray pattern, hence the colloquial classification as an 'oak' - like the Silky Oaks, etc. The patterning in the wood is extremely diverse, especially if boards include sapwood. Crown cut timber is particularly striking with broad swathes of red, brown and white if the board intermittently cuts into the sapwood. Tulip Oak has been used extensively for fine furniture and has also been used to create stunning timber floors when finished appropriately. This timber creates hard wearing and beautiful kitchen utensils.

Tulip Oak - Heritiera actinophylla

Tulip Oak is a very large rainforest hardwood growing usually above 600m altitude in coastal Queensland and New South Wales rainforests. Tulip Oak reaches heights of 50m (160ft) and girths of up to 1.7m (6ft) around it's prominently butressed base.

There is some variation in the scientific classification of this tree and several varieties are found in far north Queensland which may be a separate or sub-species of the more widely distributed form.

Tulip Oak wood ranges from dull brown through grey to various shades of pink and red - hence the local names of Red, Grey Tulip Oak, etc. The wood is hard and fairly heavy and both end-grain and surface splits readily if cut faces are exposed to air without substantial drying control. Even so-called kiln-dried timber from this tree will surface-check easily. Once items made from this timber are dried in a controlled environment and finished, the wood presents no further problems and remains stable.

Tulip Oak exhibits a strong 'oaky' grain and some medullary ray pattern, hence the colloquial classification as an 'oak' - like the Silky Oaks, etc. The patterning in the wood is extremely diverse, especially if boards include sapwood. Crown cut timber is particularly striking with broad swathes of red, brown and white if the board intermittently cuts into the sapwood. Tulip Oak has been used extensively for fine furniture and has also been used to create stunning timber floors when finished appropriately. This timber creates hard wearing and beautiful kitchen utensils.

Acacia Cedar - Albizia toona

Acacia Cedar is a medium sized rainforest tree growing mostly in the coastal and mountain rainforests of mid to far north Queensland. It can reach heights of 30m (105ft) and a diameter of 1m (3ft).

Acacia Cedar has several other local names depending mainly on the geographical area in which it occurs. These include Red Siris and Mackay Cedar.

The heartwood ranges in colour from deep red through to brown often with streaks of yellow. The wood is also frequently figured with fiddleback patterns ranging from broad bands to densely packed narrow bars which resemble rippled sand. The sometimes extreme figuring makes Acacia Cedar one of the most striking figurewood timbers available.

Acacia Cedar is a very highly regarded furniture timber and is also used extensively as a craft timber and for sculpture due to it's easy working characteristics.