The Timber
Warm, dense and resilient, Tasmanian Oak is a sustainable and local timber and the preferred hardwood for a wide range of applications. It works extremely well and produces an excellent finish. It is recognised for its excellent staining qualities, which allow ready matching with other timbers, finishes or furnishings.
Tasmanian Oak can be used in all forms of construction as scantlings, panelling and flooring, and can be gluelaminated to cover long spans. Veneers, plywood and engineered products are also available. Also, a popular furniture timber, the eucalypt fibre possessed within Tasmanian Oak is sought after for reconstituted board and the production of high-quality paper.
The Colour
Tasmanian Oak is light in colour, varying from straw to reddish brown with intermediate shades of cream to pink.
The Resource
Tasmanian Oak is the name used for three almost identical species of eucalypt hardwoods that are normally 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. Eucalypts are light demanding and grow best where they are not overshadowed. Regeneration occurs after fire, and seedlings establish best on bare mineral soil in the absence of leaf litter. In Tasmania, eucalypts may live for 400 years or more and regularly attain a height of 70m; some individuals have been recorded as reaching 100m. Mature trees may be 3-4m or more in diameter.
Over 850,000 hectares of eucalypt forest on public land are managed for sustainable multiple uses that include timber production, tourism, recreation and conservation. This includes 50,000 hectares of eucalypt plantation. There are also 940,000 hectares of eucalypt forest on private property of which over 100,000 hectares is eucalypt plantations. More than 2.5 million hectares of land in Tasmania is in secure reserves in which logging is not permitted. These reserves include 45% of the forest area of the state. Approximately 450,000m3 of logs are sawn each year.
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