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. ^ 
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 timberman 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 
