Australian Wood Review – September 2019

http://www.woodreview.com.au 93

TIMBER

However the project ‘languished’ and was put in the
too hard basket. ‘Reaching and ultimately attracting the
interest of federal government was then, and remains,
a difficult challenge. Reaching and involving wood and
the tree-interested public is now much easier with many
groups active and using electronic and social media’,
said Eugene.

Following discussions and decisions at last September’s
national IWCS meeting in Kalgoorlie, it was decided to
reinvigorate the project through a stepwise approach,
one which involved IWCS members only electing their
favourite trees.

IWCS members have a wide range of backgrounds,
ranging from wood artisans to foresters, millers, scientists,
wood anatomists and biologists; however all are united by
their love for and interest in trees. Members were asked
to nominate one or more trees that may best represent
each state and territory in Australia with the selection of a
national tree symbol to be left for a later stage.

The vote would not be for an individual tree but nevertheless
for one over five metres that could represent the species and
best symbolise the member’s state. Members were encouraged
to supplement their vote with photos, stories or information
to support their selection. Voting forms were sent out and
nominations collected by state representatives for discussion
and evaluation in order to arrive at a concensus.

Suggested reasons for nomination included the species’
significance to Indigenous communities, its usefulness for

building, furniture and/or craft along with its beauty of

form or unique nature. Reasons of historic and economic

significance as well as great size or age were also

considered as being of importance.

At the end of February, after the closing date for voting, the

following species were duly selected as Tree Emblems for

Australian States and Territories:

West Australia: Salmon gum, Eucalyptus salmonophloia

South Australia: Sugar gum, Eucalyptus cladocalyx

Tasmania: Huon pine, Lagarostrobus franklinii

Victoria: Mountain ash, Eucalyptus regnans

New South Wales: Wollemi pine, Wollemia nobilis

Australian Capital Territory: Yellow box,

Eucalyptus melliodora

Queensland: Qld kauri, Agathis robusta

Northern Territory: Ghost gum, Corymbia aparrerinja

From October 14–19, 2019 IWCS will meet in

Canberra and showcase each of the selected species

with posters, information and displays of wood items

or other plant parts. At that point the next stage in

the project for establishing a national tree emblem

will be determined.

The International Wood Collectors Society is a non-profit

society devoted to distributing information of collecting

wood, identifying and naming wood specimens and using

wood for creative crafts. There are members in over 30

countries around the world. See http://www.woodcollectors.org

for more information.

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