Lagarostrobos franklinii
Perhaps the most famous and highly prized Tasmanian special timber, Huon pine is the stuff of legends. It is Australia’s oldest living tree and one of the oldest known living organisms on the planet. It had a traditional use as the most favoured boat building timber due to its natural durability and ease of use. Today, it remains the preferred wooden boat building timber.
Its wood has a rich golden colour and a distinct perfume. It is very forgiving to work across the woodworking disciplines, from turning, veneer/inlay to cabinet making. While care may be needed in finishing due to its inherent oiliness, it produces a high lustre. Bird-seye and figured Huon pine are the most coveted features producing intense lustre in the grain patterns.
It is now used across a wide range of products from souvenirs to well designed small artefacts, modern furniture, high class fitout, boat building and sculpture.
All Huon pine logs, limbwood and timber sold by Island Specialty Timbers Tasmania and established Huon PIne sawmills originate from Huon Pine forests managed by Forestry Tasmania, the only legal source. Please do not purchase Huon pine timber or logs which could have been illegally removed from National Parksor State forests.
Eighty five per cent of Huon pine forests are conserved in National Parks and fifteen per cent are managed by Forestry Tasmania. Forestry Tasmania surveys all salvage / harvest sites and plants Huon pine seedlings to ensure sites are fully regenerated.
Air Dry Density 520 kg/m3 (Bootle 1985)
Availability: ISTT sells a small range of Huon pine timber as boards, squares, slabs and turning blanks and maintains a stock of craftwood logs and limbwood, some of which may be included in our bi-monthly tender sale. Huon pine timber is available from sawmills with Huon pine sawlog rights at Strahan, South Queenstown and Camdale; the timber is also available from some timber merchants and Tasmanian woodcraft shops.