Sydney blue gum

Overview

Sydney blue gum is a coastal New South Wales and Queensland eucalypt that is easier to dry and to work than most of its relatives. It is sold as a pink to reddish-brown hardwood for flooring, furniture and joinery. Pick it when you want a moderately hard, easy Australian eucalypt.

Pros

• WoodSolutions says it dries easily relative to other eucalypts and works easily.
• Hardness 8.1 kN seasoned (about 1820 lbf at 224.8 lbf per kN) and 840 kg/m3 (WoodSolutions).
• Moderately durable (WoodSolutions).
• Plantations exist outside Australia.

Cons

• Not in the Wood Database, so the lbf above is a conversion of a kN figure.
• Janka figures disagree: Reserve Hardwood Flooring gives 1910 lbf, Fantastic Floor 2023 lbf, and WoodSolutions about 1820 lbf (converted). Treat it as 1800 to 2000 lbf.
• Plantation-grown timber from South Africa and South America has much lower density (WoodSolutions).
• Only moderately durable, so for outdoor use compare Spotted gum or Ironbark.

Variants and subspecies

• Australian native-forest stock: denser, sold as Sydney blue gum or saligna.
• Plantation stock abroad: lower density; ask where it grew. Do not confuse with E. globulus; see Eucalyptus (plantation) for that species and the other plantation eucalypts.

Working and finishing

Works easily by comparison with other eucalypts. Use sharp tools and pre-drill; test glue and finish on offcuts.

Staining and finishing colour

The pink to red-brown colour deepens with light. Clear oils and polyurethane keep the colour; stain or dye mainly changes depth.

Sustainability and handling

IUCN: Least Concern (2019, via Wikipedia). I found no source listing it under CITES; checked 2026-09, but CITES/Species+ could not be queried directly, so verify before shipping. No species-specific health report was found in the sources checked; use normal hardwood-dust precautions. The sourcing question is plantation versus native forest; ask the seller. Stock kiln-dried and stickered for movement.

Popular projects

Flooring, dining and occasional tables, stairs, joinery and panelling.

Buying notes

In the US it appears as flooring: $12.85 per sq ft at Reserve Hardwood Flooring and a $17.59 suggested retail at Fantastic Floor. Australian retail from AUD 55 per square metre is about US$3.60 per sq ft, so the US price carries import costs. Check whether stock is native or plantation, since plantation boards are lighter.