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. 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 reaches heights of 50m (160ft) and girths of up to 1.7m (6ft) around it's prominently butressed base.

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.

Red Mahogany - Eucalyptus resinifera

Red Mahogany, also known as Red Stringybark, grows between coastal rainforests and 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.

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 which persists through to dry wood.

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.

Spotted Gum - Eucalyptus maculata

Spotted Gum is a tall tree growing in open coastal forests from Victoria all the way to far north Queensland. It attains heights of up to 50m (160ft) and diameters up to 1.5m (5ft) with almost perfectly straight trunk sections 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 boat-building timbers during the past 200 years.

Although Spotted Gum is a heavy timber and not generally used for furniture making or craftwork, it finishes extremely well due to it's close grain and hard surface. 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.

Sydney Bluegum - Eucalyptus saligna, Northern Bluegum (Forest Red Gum) - Eucalyptus tereticornis

The bluegums are a colloquially named group of tall eucalypt hardwoods growing on Australia's east coast. Together with the Tasmanian Bluegum (E. globulus), the bluegums range pretty much the entire eastern seaboard of the country. Sydney Bluegum has also been established in plantations in the USA, Africa and Asia.

The trees grow to around 55m (180ft) in height and up to 2m (7ft) in diameter. Colour is generally pinkish or salmon red for Sydney Bluegum and often darker for the northern member of the group.

The timber is usually easily recognised by a persistence of curly interlocked grain which can give rise to striking fiddleback in quartersawn sections. Bluegum has found use in construction and boatbuilding due to it's high density and strength as well as in furniture making.

Jarrah - Eucalyptus marginata

Jarrah grows in the southern forests of Western Australia. It's a tall tree reaching 40m (130ft) in height and up to 2m (7ft) in diameter that is often found in almost pure growth stands. Jarrah is highly valued as a first rate furniture timber because of it's colour and fine grain as well as exceptional stability.

Colour ranges from light reddish pink in younger timber through deep red in old growth trees to almost black in fungal-spalted Jarrah.

In times past, Jarrah was so plentiful that trees were extensively felled to provide railway sleepers for Australia's desert-spanning railways due to excellent tolerance of the elements.

Today, the Jarrah forests of Western Australia are Government-protected with closure to logging of all crown land forests such that timber in the future will be provided from managed regrowth forests, current stockpiles and salvage operations. Sadly, this will ultimately result in very limited supply.

Jarrah, along with Australian Red Cedar, Huon Pine and several others, is regarded as one of Australia's finest timbers.