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Huon pine,
Lagarostrobos franklinii,
is the prince of Tasmanian timbers. The richness of colour and figure in
the wood make it one of the world's most desirable furniture and
veneering timbers. Its durability and workability make it one of the
best ship building timbers known. The wood contains a natural preserving
oil, methyl eugenol, and its perfume is unmistakable.
Huon pine, with its golden tone, is exclusive and ageless. Drawn from a
very slow growing and long lived tree, the timber is like a time
capsule. A one metre diameter section can record a thousand years of
history. Larger and older pieces are being used as one means of
determining trends in global warming.
Like Australian cedar, Huon pine was one of the first of Australia's
timbers to be heavily exploited for its pure quality- its fine and even
grain makes the wood exceptionally easy to work with hand tools.
Today, the quality of Huon pine continues to be recognised, but its
supply is carefully nurtured and controlled. Eighty per cent of Huon
pine forests are reserved and much of the resource that is available
comes from logs salvaged from rivers, the forest floor and areas
inundated by hydro electric schemes. Supply is about 500 cu. metres per
year for the specialist craft and furniture industries for the next
fifty years.
Huon Pine wood shaving can be used very effectively as an insect repellant.
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