Timber species and commercial uses
There are a wide range of native Australian hardwood timber species found in Victoria's forests. Although a relatively small state, Victoria has 7.8 million hectares of forest land and many different species across this land.
VicForests operates in only 6% of Victoria's forests and sustainably harvests and regenerates a range of timber species to supply Victoria's demand for high quality, locally sourced timber.
Below are some of the main species of timber that VicForests harvests and what they are used for commercially.
Ash Species
Mountain Ash is a hardwood timber sourced from north-east Victoria and produces a beautiful blonde hardwood timber with little or no defects.
Common uses for this timber is high quality furniture pieces such as dining tables, staircases and flooring. Due to its strength, it also works well as a structural timber for roofing, doors and window frames.
Click here for more information (wood solutions)
Very similar to Mountain Ash, Alpine Ash is an evergreen hardwood timber found in south-east Victoria that produces a beautiful blonde hardwood timber with little or no defects.
Common uses for this timber is high quality furniture pieces such as dining tables, staircases and flooring. Due to its strength, it also works well as a structural timber for roofing, doors and window frames.
Click here for more information (wood solutions)
The timber of shining gum, as its name implies, has lustrous qualities. The heartwood is a straw colour bursting with pink and yellow tints.
Shining gum is prevalent in the mountain areas of east Gippsland and south-eastern NSW as well as the northern tablelands of NSW to an altitude of 1600m.
Shining gum is also a popular plantation timber as it can be extremely quick growing. Timber from shining gum has a wide range of uses, from pulp to sawn products.
Click here for more information (wood solutions)
Mixed Species
Messmate is a well-known Australian hardwood that can be found in most forested areas in Victoria. The colour of the timber varies from pale browns to light yellows with subtle hints of peach.
With moderate hardness and strength but low durability messmate works, glues and bends easily. Most common uses for this timber are in general construction and pulp but once protected is is widely used in internal furniture and flooring, framing, paneling and plywood.
Silvertop is a hardwood timber that grows in east Victoria and produces a brown, sometimes pinkish, timber. It is moderately durable and provides good fire resistance.
It is mainly used a building material for roofs, doors and window frames but is also commonly used in flooring, furniture and high-end joinery. It is also regularly used as handles and fence posts.
Mountian Grey Gum is a hardwood timber that grows in parts of Victoria. The timber is a pale brown colour, often with pink or yellow tinges and is moderately durable.
It is mainly used for building framework, bridge and wharf construction, wheelwright work, sleepers, paneling and
Cuttail, also known as Brownbarrel, is a hardwood sourced from north-east Victoria which projects a pale brown colour, sometimes with a hint of pink and can have a similar appearance to Messmate.
Common uses for Cuttail are used for internal applications as it is only of a moderate durability. This includes; flooring, veneers and paneling but can also be used for general construction in instances where it is protected from weather exposure.