Araucaria plantations

Forestry Plantations Queensland’s 44,560-hectare Araucaria cunninghamii estate represents the rare example of a native rainforest species grown successfully in a plantation environment.

Species

Araucaria is part of the Araucaraceae genus, which makes it a close relative of the well known Bunya pine, the Agathis (Kauri) species and Australia’s “dinosaur tree”, the Wollemi pine.

Uses

Araucaria is much sought after as it has fine grain and is relatively knot free, has high strength and easy machining properties and is easily painted or stained. The timber is used for speciality timber products including furniture components, doors and window frames, joinery, fine turnery, musical instruments, and aircraft and maritime construction.

Large clear sections of Araucaria make quality internal beams and flooring. Araucaria plywood and sawn wood products make domestic commodity products such as pallets, door skins and particleboard. A lot of Araucaria plywood and sawn wood is exported and the species supports a vibrant export woodchip industry.

Araucaria is a specialty timber that is tasteless, odourless and extremely fine grained. These attributes make it one of the few timbers in the world that can be used with foodstuffs. Before plastics, the timber was used extensively for butter boxes. Today, an innovative Queensland company, Austicks, uses Araucaria to make ice cream sticks, selling them in Australia and throughout the world. For these reasons also, Araucaria is much favoured for making baby cots, the timber representing no danger for infants and young children when used in this manner.

Locations

Our Araucaria plantations are mainly in the Mary Valley and Brisbane Valley (around Imbil, Jimna, Gallangowan and Yarraman) in south-east Queensland and in smaller plantations in central Queensland (around Kalpowar) and north Queensland (around Atherton).

Last updated 5 August 2011