RED GUM
(river red gum)
Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh

Red Gum has a close, fine textured, usually interlocked grain producing an attractive ripple or fiddleback figure. The timber colour is red to reddish brown.

Red Gum is one of the most common inland trees of Australia and is found along watercourses throughout all states except Tasmania. It is the tree most often identified with outback Australia. Red gum has been used in furniture and construction building since Australia was first settled during the 1700s.

The durability of Red Gum is evident in samples up to 5000 years old being discovered in the mud beds of the Murray River. The timber has turned darker in colour, but is otherwise not affected.

The Red Gum used by Gordon Lanman is from trees aged 300 years old that were ringbarked, to make way for farming, 80 years ago.

JARRAH

Eucalyptus marginata Donn ex Smith

Jarrah produces a dark red to reddish brown wood with a hard, coarse texture which finishes well.

Jarrah grows in the South West of Australia and the trees are known to survive for up to 600 years.

A highly durable timber, Jarrah was originally, and still is, sought after for use in construction and engineering works, such as for mining, railway sleepers and bridges. With improvements and strengthening in the steels used for craft tools, Jarrah has become a popular material for furniture making.

Gordon uses Jarrah reclaimed from disused bridges and railway sleepers.

TASMANIAN OAK
(mountain ash, messmate, stringybark, woolybutt)
Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell

Known by a variety of names, the colours in Tasmanian Oak range through yellow, light to pale brown and dark tan. The texture is moderately open with a straight grain.

These mighty trees grow to over 100 meters with a diameter of over 3 meters. The Tasmanian Oak is the worlds tallest flowering plant and grows in forests throughout Victoria and Tasmania.

Extremely strong and durable, the timber was popular with miners during the Victorian goldrush era; providing dependable support in the mine networks.

Messmate was also used extensively in bridges, flooring and other engineering constructions and it is from these sources that Gordon gains his materials.

BLACKWOOD
(black wattle)
Acacia melanoxylon R. Br

Blackwood is sourced from one of the largest of the famous Australian "Wattles" and grows extensively throughout Australia's southern states.

Blackwood is golden brown to dark brown in colour. The grain is usually straight but sometimes interlocked with a more even texture than the other Australian hardwoods.

This durable, strong but light weight timber is ideal for fine furniture making and is believed to be one of the best furniture timbers in the world.