AUSTRALIAN TIMBERS 211 



exported to Great Britain, and those only within recent years. 

 They are to be found in great profusion, and, so far as 

 regards hardwoods, furnish a supply and quality unequalled 

 in the world. The extent of merchantable timber in 

 Western Australia is approximately 20,000,000 acres ; New 

 South Wales, with only one-third the area, has 15,000,000 

 acres, which, however, are not so concentrated as in 

 Western Australia ; Queensland, 40,000,000 acres ; Vic- 

 toria, 11,000,000 acres ; South Australia, 3,800,000 acres. 1 

 The true forest area of Australia lies in a belt along the 

 coast-line, where the average annual rainfall varies from 

 35 to 40 inches. As the area of rainfall decreases further 

 inland the trees become of a poorer quality and a softer 

 nature. 



It should be carefully noted that with the eucalyptus, as 

 with other evergreen trees, the heart is the weakest portion, 

 which is contrary to the general rule, and especially in the 

 case of conifers, and an experienced tirnberman considers 

 that all eucalyptus timber used for piles should have the 

 heart " boxed." All scantlings should be clear of the pith 

 or centre of heart by at least 3 or 4 inches, and in some 

 cases more, and as the wood invariably shakes in the 

 direction of the medullary rays and across the annual 

 rings, all scantlings should be sawn on that quarter. Thus 

 it will be seen that in the conversion of this class of timber 

 there is a considerable waste. (See Figs. 31 and 32.) 



Mr. Charles Dearden, Government timber inspector for 

 Tasmania, writes thus on June 20th, 1905 : " I am at a loss 

 to understand engineers and others in their inquiries from 

 our merchants for quotations specifying that heart will be 

 accepted, thus showing the necessity of making our timbers 

 better known to foreign inquirers who are more in touch 



1 As previously stated, the total area covered by forest in Australia 

 is about 173,500,000 acres. 



p 2 



