Australian Timbers
The timber I use is as much a part of each piece as the joinery and design. Australian hardwoods offer an incredible palette — from the honey tones of Blackwood to the deep reds of Jarrah, the figured grain of Red Gum to the vanishingly rare Tiger Myrtle.
Sourcing Timber
I buy exclusively from the small number of Australian sawmills committed to sustainable harvesting of salvaged timber: trees that have died of natural causes, been removed for safety reasons, or cleared for development.
This isn’t just about sustainability — salvaged timber is often older, more stable, and more characterful than plantation-grown stock.
At the lumber yard, I’m that customer. The one who pulls hundreds of boards off the rack searching for the one that meets my standards. It’s not enough that it’s just wood. It has to be exceptional.
I look for those special pieces: Tiger Myrtle, not just Myrtle. Fiddleback Jarrah, not just Jarrah. Figured Red Gum, not fence-post Red Gum. These woods allow me to create — and you to own — a piece that could never be made the same way again.
How I Use Different Timbers
Not all timber serves the same role in a piece of furniture.
Structural timber (18-25mm thick) forms cabinet frames, drawer sides, and internal components. These need to be clean, straight-grained, and stable. They’re the foundation.
Heavy structural timber (38-55mm thick) becomes table legs, aprons, rails, and chair legs. When you need strength, this is where you get it.
These first two types are like the stage in a theatre — their job is to hold the actors up.
Feature timber — solid wood and veneer with exceptional character — these are the actors. The glitz and glamour. Their life history is written in every twist and turn of their grain, every streak of colour, every figured pattern. Working with these timbers is what every woodworker lives for.
Featured Australian Timbers
There are dozens of Australian species I work with, but here are some favourites:
Tasmanian Blackwood
One of the most prized furniture woods in the world. When freshly cut, Blackwood is a pale brown. With time and sun exposure, it ages to a stunning honey brown with golden highlights. Works beautifully, finishes beautifully, ages beautifully.
Highly figured Blackwood — particularly fiddleback and birdseye — is increasingly rare and commands premium prices.
Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis)
Probably my favourite Australian timber. Very difficult to work — hard, dense, and temperamental — but absolutely worth the effort.
Figured Red Gum displays an incredible range of colours: from pale cream sapwood through pink and salmon tones to deep red-brown heartwood. The grain can be straight, interlocked, or wildly figured with swirls and eyes.
Very strong and stable, it’s suitable for all kinds of furniture. When finished, it has a depth and richness that few other timbers can match.
Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata)
Jarrah is murder on edge tools — swipe, sharpen, swipe, sharpen, swipe, sharpen… you get the idea. But it’s worth the effort.
The heartwood ranges from reddish-brown to deep purple, often with streaks of lilac and burgundy. Fiddleback Jarrah — with its distinctive striped figure — is particularly stunning. The timber darkens beautifully with age.
Dense, durable, and naturally resistant to decay and insects, Jarrah has been used in everything from furniture to bridge pilings.
Tiger Myrtle (Nothofagus cunninghamii)
A vanishingly rare and exceedingly expensive timber. When you find Tasmanian Myrtle with the tiger stripe figure, it’s extraordinary — rich brown heartwood with dramatic darker striping that seems to shimmer under light.
I don’t get to make whole pieces with Tiger Myrtle often, but occasionally a client chooses it for a chair or special commission, and my whole year is made.
Queensland Maple Silkwood (Flindersia brayleyana)
I’m not usually drawn to lighter timbers, but Queensland Maple (which isn’t actually a maple — it’s in the citrus family) is an exception.
The timber is a beautiful pale pink to light brown with a fine, even texture and subtle grain. It works easily, finishes to a silky surface, and has a gentle warmth that suits contemporary designs.
Ringed Gidgee (Acacia cambagei)
The third hardest wood on earth, and one of the most beautiful. Dark chocolate brown with distinctive growth rings and occasional red streaks.
Because of the cost and difficulty of working it, I use Gidgee for highlights: door pulls, shadow lines, trim details. These small touches add weight and presence to a piece.
I occasionally make some of my own hand tools from Gidgee when I can find offcuts.
Timber Selection for Your Commission
When you commission a piece, we’ll discuss timber options together. I’ll show you samples, explain the characteristics of different species, and help you choose timber that suits both the design and your aesthetic preferences.
Sometimes a timber chooses the piece — I’ll call a client because I’ve found an exceptional board that would be perfect for their commission. Other times, you’ll have a specific species in mind from the start.
Either way, timber selection is a collaborative and exciting part of the process.