by Jacqui Donchi Berthaume.

Here at Nullarbor Timber, we thought we'd put the microscope on a local anomaly. We often take advantage of what we have in life or in the environment and that's no exception when it comes to the magnificent River Redgum, a uniquely tinctured timber with a stunning, blood red hue that is native to the very region in which we launched our timber company. Sometimes, despite searching the nation for hidden treasures, the most valuable gifts reside right in your back yard, a shoulder's glance away.

Eucalyptus trees are not particularly uncommon. There are over 700 species identified in the eucalyptus camaldulensis genus.  What is uncommon  however is a native strain of it - and by that we mean not purpose grown in plantations.

River Redgum is not only native to Australia in a time when indigenous species of trees are becoming increasingly rare, but also native to its original, ecological land base. In Australia, eucalypts have the broadest natural distribution of the species - usually around river ways and other wetlands.

The etymology of the species goes back to a clandestine Camaldoli monastery near Naples, Italy where it earnt its name.  A private estate garden near the Camaldoli monastery (L'Hortus Camaldulensis di Napoli), is where the first specimen came to be described in 1832. Material from this tree was used by Frederick Dehnhardt, Chief Gardener at the Botanic Gardens in Naples.

Eucalypts are often found along Australian waterways, but none more abundantly than River Redgum which is a vital part of the ecology as it gives stability to river banks. The towering tree can reach great heights and usually grows straight under certain conditions. Twisted branches occur in drier settings, which makes sense when you think of the hot summers around Echuca Moama and the magnificent, exaggerated branches of the Redgum eucalypt.
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Interestingly, River Redgum is known colloquially as "The Widow Maker".  This may have derived from the tree's tendency to drop big boughs - often half the diameter of the trunk itself -  with no warning at all. This kind of self-pruning happens in the name of saving water. It also assists the wildlife who routinely take up residence in the holes that form which gives the redgum a very handy basis of fertiliser. River Redgum creates a welcoming habitat for many wildlife fraternities including bats, carpet pythons, rare parrots, and many birds. The dense foliage of the tree also provides shade and shelter from the sun in drier areas. Its a tree that keeps on giving! Due to river redgum's proximity to watercourses, it is exposed to regular flooding in its natural habitat. River red gum prefers soils with clay content. The trees flourish during regular flooding, since it recharges the sub-soil with water.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE  - THE  FORMATION OF THE BARMAH RED GUM FOREST

The formation of the famous Barmah red gum forests is due to a relatively recent geological event in the Murray-Darling Basin involving the Cadell Fault.

"River red gum seeds germinate readily after floods and require regular spring floods throughout their life to survive. In the Murray-Darling Basin, such floods are now rare due to river regulation for irrigation, and as a result, 75% of River red gums in the lower Murray are stressed, dead or dying." -  WIKIPEDIA

The largest remaining stand of river red gum is the (160,000 acres) Barmah-Millewa forest ( Nullarbor Timber Country!!) straddling the border of Victoria and New South Wales near our factory in Echuca Moama, due north of Melbourne, the state's capital city.

 It retains enormous cultural significance to the Indigenous traditional owners, the Yorta Yorta Nation. Like many stands of river red gum, the Barmah-Millewa has been drastically altered by over 100 years of timber harvesting. There is a paucity of old hollow-bearing trees which provide habitat for rare and threatened fauna such as the superb parrot, brush-tailed phascogale and inland carpet python. 

At Nullarbor Sustainable Timber, we pride ourselves on re-purposing timbers that are not only local but also have their own brand of exotic provenance.

Owning a River Redgum table or creating a bench top or feature wall out of this spectacular timber means you are inviting history into your home or office. The durability of this species of timber - when treated correctly by milling and joining experts - means it will give you decades upon decades of longevity.

Its remarkable that a natural material that has been salvaged from a brutally unforgiving environment, mis-appropriated and thrown on the junk pile can be rescued by a company like Nullarbor Timber and brought back to life. You'd think the harsh toil of many years would decay its charm and inherent strength. On the contrary, the older it gets, like a fine wine, the more seasoned it becomes and the longer it will stay with you if handled correctly by professionals.

You'II be amazed at the sheer weight, solidarity, durability and aesthetic beauty of a redgum table or building product. Time - for redgum - is not its enemy and we salute what it can teach us.

"About 25,000 years ago, displacement occurred along the Cadell fault, a part of the Murray River channel was abandoned, and exists today as an empty channel known as Green Gully. The Goulburn River was dammed by the southern end of the fault to create a natural lake. The Murray River flowed to the north around the Cadell Fault, creating the channel of the Edward River which exists today and through which much of the Murray River's waters still flow. These conditions are highly suitable for river red gum trees, and the growing forests in the area. The  formation of the Barmah river red gum forests reigns supreme even today." - WIKIPEDIA

Talk to us today:
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+ PHONE (03) 9399 9300 or (03) 54800044
+ EMAIL [email protected] 

Or drop in for a visit:

+ MELBOURNE SHOWROOM  221 Kororoit Creek Rd Williamstown, Victoria. 
+ AUSTRALIAN STOCK YARD & DISPATCH 92 Graham St Moama, NSW 2731 AUSTRALIA 

Millions of viewers watched House Rules ”Best House Ever Renovation” the night contestants - in the lead up the finals - discovered Nullarbor Sustainable Timber in their home renovation 'reveal'.  

The use of our sawn faced lining on the back wall of the master bedroom was designed by professional interior designers and heralded the beginning of a rising trend. Sawn Faced Lining is a product that may have been misunderstood in previous eras of home building. As the name suggests, it has a rough edge to it and since smooth surfaces have become synonymous with modern decor, we're thrilled that sawn faced products are having their moment in the sun. 

The textured look and feel of this specialised lining product is only the beginning. The rough surface lining is something that may have been seen in outdoor areas in bygone eras. But with trends turning toward innovative usage of authentic and rustic materials, with industrial chic leading the way with alternative interiors, sawn faced lining has arrived at the perfect time.

BENEFITS:

• Incredibly easy to install
• Environmentally friendly
• Milled from Ex. 5# and 4# timbers.
  

No two pieces of NST SF Lining are, or will ever be the same. The unique characteristics of every sawn faced piece means you can proudly avoid getting caught up in mass produced home building materials and create something utterly unique that your peers simply aren't able to replicate. There is a very palpable value in an exclusively milled, one-off timber backdrop that can not only last the ages but won't date when trends inevitably shift. That's one of the most satisfying things about working with timber. It's timeless appeal and link to nature means it never really goes out of fashion. And it most certainly never loses the standard of quality it is known for, far beyond the regular. 

Sawn Faced Lining can create a fabulous internal feature wall for restaurants, commercial fit outs, bed room or living rooms. Retailers are starting to use it to add some rustic country charm to urban stores and outlets.​

When you're designing and building a space, you want to integrate all the modern conveniences and keep up with design innovations. Timber isn't here to compete with existing modern materials, its here to enhance it, add to it, uphold a standard of style and improve its quality with timber accents that are sympathetic to the design, courtesy of Mother Nature; the greatest designer of them all. 

Please talk to us about our range of Sawn Faced Lining.
We're always happy to have a good chat,

OUTLETS: & CONTACTS:
MELBOURNE : 221 Kororoit Creek  Rd Williamstown, Vic 3016  (03) 9399 9300     
COUNTRY VICTORIA : Graham St Moama NSW ​2731 (03) 54800044  
EMAIL [email protected]

It's easy to talk about waste reduction and sustainability, but the doing is what really matters when it comes to conservation.
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Here at Nullarbor Susatinable Timber we work continually on reducing our carbon footprint and are 100% solar-powered.
 
The installation of a 75kW grid connected solar system on our factory's roofing has been a huge success and to reduce our carbon footprint even further we also installed 15 X high bay & 34 tube LED lights. The panels were installed by local Bendigo company Cola Solar who assisted every step of the way. We are thrilled with how our factory system is working so efficiently under solar power and highly recommend making the change.

Actively reducing our carbon footprint  and helping the environment through less emissions is a responsibility we all need to take, in business and at home.

As a green company, public health is a high priority to us, and releasing fewer pollutants into the air by installing solar panels seemed like a natural choice.

In business, as in every aspect of modern life, there is only one true way to live and work in a sustainable fashion and that's with forward planning and foresight.

The earth is not an endless source of energy, material, mineral and renewal if abused by its inhabitants. There is simply no need for waste on such a rapidly increasingly scale in an age where recycled and sustainable materials are so readily available. There are simple ways of reducing your carbon footprint and also significant ways that our governments and commercial industries could help.

We still have time, but the question is for how much longer?

Invest in your future today before its too late for everyone.