49/70 D007 Australian Flora--Huon Pine

Huon Pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii) is a kind of conifer native to western and southern Tasmania. It was first found by the Huon River, so it wasnamed as Huon Pine.

It is a slow-growing, long-lived tree. The average growth rate is only 1 millimeter in girth per year and it does not begin to reproduce until 600 to 800 years of age. It takes approximately 1000 years to reach a height of 30 meters and a diameter of 1 meter. But its lifespan can be as long as 2000 to over 3000 years. It is discovered that a stand of Huon pines on Mt Read is in excess of 10 000 years of age.

Its wood is highly valued for its golden yellow color, fine grain, light weight and good workability.The essential oil, methyl eugenol, not only gives Huon pine its unique odor and a superb luster, but also makes it impervious to rot and bugs. These remarkable properties make it an excellent timber. Huon pine has been prized as a timber since the early 1800s. One of the reasons for establishing a convict settlement at Sarah Island in Macquarie Harbour was to harvest Huon pine from the Gordon River.

Nowadays, cutting down living Huon Pine is prohibited since its slow growth precludes the possibility of plantation farms. The present sources of timber are either from forest waste left over from the days when logging was permitted or from dead and downed timber.