STRINGYBARK, MESSMATE

One of the most important structural timbers in south-eastern Australia, messmate stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua) is one of those timbers which are referred to as Tasmanian oak and in itself is commonly called messmate, stringybark and brown-top stringybark. Its widest distribution is in Tasmania and Victoria, smaller quantities growing in New South Wales and South Australia. It is pale brown in colour of open texture with well-defined growth rings. The sapwood is susceptible to lyctus attack and during seasoning reconditioning is a necessity. Messmate stringybark is widely used in home building, framing, weatherboards, flooring, interior work, furniture, joinery and for posts, piles, wharf construction, railway sleepers, staves, case shooks and wood wool manufacture.

Density: Green 70, A.D. 48 * Shrinkage: Radial 5-5 (3-5) Strength Group: C. Tangential .. . . 1 1 - 5 (5-7)

Durability Class . . .. .. .. 3 STRINGYBARK, RED

Also known as mountain stringybark, red stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorrhyncha) is widely distributed throughout the eastern States, occurring chiefly in Victoria and New South Wales. The timber which is pale red and fairly close-textured is not highly valued although in coastal areas it is superior to that which grows further inland. Its main uses include poles, weatherboards, framing, wheelwright's work and fencing. The sapwood is susceptible to the lyctus borer.

Density: A.D. 56 t Shrinkage: Radial 5-3 * Bull. 3, D.W.T., N.S.W. gives Radial—5-5; Tangential—6-8.

t Bull. 3, D.W.T., N.S.W. Forestry Commission.

STRINGYBARK, WHITE

The standard trade reference names for white stringybark are Eucalyptus eugenioides,

E. phaeotricha and E. globoidea; in Queensland it is also called pink blackbutt. Found

principally in New South Wales and parts of Queensland and Victoria, white stringy- bark is brown to pale pink in colour, of straight grain, hard, strong and tough. It is mainly a heavy structural timber, its chief uses being for poles, sleepers, cross-arms and general construction. A good bending timber.

Density: Green 70, A.D. 52 Shrinkage: Radial 5 - 5 ( 3 - 0 ) Strength Group: B. Tangential .. .. 10-0(5-0)

Durability Class 2 & 3

TALLOWWOOD

Tallowwood {Eucalyptus microcorys) does not grow in commercial quantities below the Hawkesbury River in New South Wales and extends through the coastal forests north as far as Maryborough in Queensland and Fraser Island. This timber, of a greasy nature, is one of the most popular flooring timbers and, because of this quality, is world renowned. Of light to yellowish-brown in colour, it is very hard, strong and tough, being of excellent durability and moderately easy to work and finish. The sapwood is susceptible to the lyctus borer. In addition to flooring it is also used in home building for sills, weatherboards, exterior flooring, framing, stumps, roller-skating rinks, and for poles, cross-arms, sleepers, bridges and carriage work.

Density: Green 75, A.D. 62 Shrinkage: Radial 4-5 Strength Group: A-B. Tangential .. .. 6-5

Durability Class .. .. . . 1

TUART

Available only in limited quantities tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala) is restricted in its habitat to a small coastal area near Perth in Western Australia. The timber is light yellow in colour, very tough, strong and has an interlocked grain. The railways are its main user, particularly for heavy carriage work. Also used for boat knees (natural bend) and steamed boat frames. Sapwood is susceptible to lyctus.

Density: Green 78, A.D. 64 Shrinkage: Radial 4-0 Strength Group: A. Tangential 7-0

Durability Class .. .. . . .. 1

WANDOO

Found solely in Western Australia in conjunction with the jarrah forests, wandoo

{Eucalyptus redunca) is a timber of exceptional strength and durability. It is light to

reddish-brown in colour, close-textured with an interlocked grain. Principally used for sleepers, poles, bridge, wharf and carriage work, it is also sought after by wheelwrights. The sapwood is not susceptible to lyctus. The whole tree is also the raw material for a substantial tannin industry, the bark sometimes containing as much as 20 per cent and the timber up to 11 per cent of tannin.

Density: Green 80, A.D. 68-5 Shrinkage: Radial 2-5 Strength Group: A. Tangential .. .. .. 3-5

Durability Class . . .. . . .. 1

YERTCHUK

Commonly referred to as New South Wales messmate or yellow messmate in Victoria, yertchuk {Eucalyptus consideniana) is one of the ash group of eucalypts and has similar properties to that of Eucalyptus regnans. Of light brown colour, open texture and interlocked grain, the timber has been found suitable for general construction, flooring, sleepers and firewood. It occurs in the central coastal ranges of New South Wales and in eastern Queensland.

Density: A.D. 58-5 Shrinkage: Radial 6-5 Strength Group: B. Tangential 9-0

B I B L I O G R A P H Y

AUSTRALIAN TIMBERS

Australia. "Selection, preservation, distribution and identification of Australian pole timbers", by J. E. Cummins and H. E. Dadswell, 1935. C.S.I.R.O. Division of Forest Products, Melbourne. Pamphlet 55.

Australia. "Australian rain-forest Trees", by W. D. Francis, Forestry and Timber Bureau, 1951.

Australia. "Forest Trees of Australia" . . . 1957. "Growing Trees on Australian Farms" Forestry and Timber Bureau. 1968.

Australia. "Properties of Australian Timbers", C.S.I.R.O. Division of Forest Products

Newsletters (series of descriptive articles).

Baker, R. T. Hardwoods of Australia and Their Economics. (Technological Museum, Sydney, Tech. Education Ser. no. 23). Sydney. Government Printer 1919. "Cabinet Timbers of Australia" by R. T. Baker, Technological Museum, Sydney.

Boas, I. H. Commercial Timbers of Australia, Their Properties and Uses. Australia* C.S.I.R.O. Melbourne Government Printer. 1947.

Ellis, C. "Queensland timbers and housing: address to Real Estate Institute of Queens- land". Australian Timber Journal, 14(12): 814, 825. Jan. 1949.

Galbraith, A. V. "Mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans F. v M.) a general treatise on its silviculture, management and utilisation." Victorian Forests Commission, Mel- bourne Government Printer. 1937.

New South Wales. "Flooring timbers of New South Wales", Bulletin, 1, 1944. "New South Wales Timbers for building purposes." Pamphlet, 6, 1940. Forestry Commission, Division of Wood Technology.

New South Wales. "Weatherboard timbers of New South Wales" Bulletin, 17, 1958. Forestry Commission, Division of Wood Technology.

Patton, R. T. Know Your Own Trees. 2nd ed. Melbourne, 1954.

Queensland. "North Queensland building timbers and specifications for their use," by C. J. J. Watson, Rev. ed. 1951. Pamphlet no. 1. "South Queensland building timbers and specifications for their use", by C. J. J. Watson. 1947. Pamphlet, no. 2. Queens- land Forest Service, Brisbane.

Queensland. "Queensland Timbers for Joinery and Mouldings", by C. J. J. Watson, 1958.

Pamphlet no. 3. Queensland Forestry Department. "Valuable Queensland Timbers",

by C. J. J. Watson, 1963, Pamphlet no. 4. Queensland Forestry Department, Brisbane. Queensland. "Queensland Building Timbers and Specifications for their Use" by C. J. J.

Watson, 1964, Pamphlet no. 5. Queensland Forestry Department, Brisbane.

Standards Association of Australia. "Australian Standard nomenclature of Australian Timbers." C.S.I.R.O. Trade Circular, no. 47, 1940. Australian Standard AS 02-1965. Swain, E. H. F. Timbers and Forest Products of Queensland. Queensland Forest Service,

Brisbane Government Printer, 1928.

Western Australia. "Hardwoods of Western Australia", by S. L. Kessell. 1936. Bulletin, 46. "Forestry in Western Australia with notes on the principal timbers." Forest Depart- ment, Perth.

BORNEO

Bayly, D. R. "Important Commercial Timber of Sarawak." Pts 1-2. Australia, C.S.I.R.O. Forest Products Newsletters, nos. 211-212. 1955.

Browne, F. G. Forest Trees of Sarawak and Brunei and Their Products. Kuching, Gov- ernment Printer, 1955.

Burgess, P. F. Timbers of Sabah, Forest Department, Sandakan, Sabah, 1967.

Parnell, H. R. C. "North Borneo timber industries." Australian Timber Journal, 23(2): 30 March, 1957.

Wyatt-Smith, J. "Standard timber names of Indonesia, Malaya, North Borneo and Sara- wak." Malayan Forester, 18(3): 138-144. July, 1955.

CANADA

Canada. Canadian Woods. Department of Resources and Development (Forestry Branch). 2nd ed. Ottawa. Government Printer, 1951.

MALAYA

Balan Menon, P. K. "Uses of Malayan Timbers" Malayan Forester 2 1 ( 1 ) : 34-44. Jan. 1958. Malaya Forest Department. Trade Leaflet, no. 31.

Desch, H. E. "Manual of Malayan Timbers," vol. 1-2. Malayan Forest Records, no. 15. Kuala Lumpur, Caxton Press. 1941-54.

Desch, H. E. "Dipterocarp timbers of the Malay Peninsula". Malayan Forest Records, no. 14. Kuala Lumpur, Caxton Press Ltd. 1941.

Desch, H. E. and Thoman, A. V. "Timber Utilisation in Malaya". Malayan Forest

Records, no. 13. Kuala Lumpur, Caxton Press Ltd. 1940.

Edwards, J. P. "Malayan timbers for export". Malaya Forest Department 1947. (Paper presented at Empire Forestry Conference, 1947).

Jackson, W. F. "Durability of Malayan Timbers." Malayan Forester, 2 0 ( 1 ) : 38-48. Jan. 1957. Malaya Forest Department. Trade Leaflet, no. 28.

Wyatt-Smith, J. Pocket Check List of Timber Trees. Kuala Lumpur, Caxton Press Ltd. 1952.

Wyatt-Smith, J. "Standard timber names of Indonesia, Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak." Malayan Forester, 18(3): 138-144. July, 1955.