Tallowwood, Gympie or Yellow Messmate: Australians have many names for this wood of a tree of the eucalyptus genus (Eucalyptus microcorys), it grows as a tree in the Gympie and Queensland region of northeastern Australia, where it reaches stately growth heights of up to 50 meters and diameters of 2 meters. Its wood has a yellow-brown color, appears a little waxy and is dense, hard and extremely durable. Its grain is rather plain and calm, the wood is fine-pored.
The tree plays a major role in the timber industry of Australia, the valuable wood is used for railroad sleepers, in mining, for posts and squared timbers. It is very resistant to decay from contact with the ground. These characteristics make Messmate an extremely useful wood for furniture, woodturning and joinery. Gympie Messmate is commonly used for wharf and bridge construction, while dried lumber is used for house construction. Cladding, flooring, fencing, and most utility poles in southeast Queensland are made from Gympie Messmate.
