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Description
The two most common Red
Ironbarks are Mugga Ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon) and Narrow-leaved Red Ironbark (E. creba). A third Ironbark that also falls into this
category is Broad-leaved Red Ironbark (E. fibrosa).
Mugga Ironbark extends from Victoria
through the western slopes of NSW into southern Queensland. Narrow-leaved Red Ironbark is
found in the coastal, tablelands and western plains areas of central to
northern NSW and extends well up into Queensland
in a belt between the coast and the just west of the Great
Dividing Range. Broad-leaved Red Ironbark has a discontinuous
distribution from the south coast of NSW to central coastal Queensland
Some Red Ironbarks, particularly Mugga and
Narrow-leaved Red Ironbark, have a propensity to pipe, where a hollow is
formed in the centre of the trunk which can reduce the recovery rates and
sectional sizes of sawn timber.
Appearance
The heartwood colour is a deep red. Sapwood is very
distinctive, being a pale yellow in colour. Texture
is medium and even.
Properties
The material is very hard to work, limiting some applications requiring fine
detailing. The heartwood is highly durable (Class 1), allowing for wide range
of external applications.
Applications include heavy engineering, marine structures, poles, sleepers,
framework, flooring and decking.
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