was just looking at Robducas question about the xmas tree, and it got me to thinking about a small tree I found while pruning pine trees for a bloke near bega in nsw. I stumbled upon this tree which was basically two conjoined trunks both around the 6 to 8 inches in diameter The foliage was VERY similar to the native cherry which proliferated the area. How it differed however was in the timber. I saw the tree had been damaged and so I went to give it a trim and neaten it up in the hope that i could prolong its life etc. when I went to cut the damaged Trunk which I had found to have been damaged due to ants getting in between the 2 trunks and causing Rot in the base of the 1 I cut which had made it break, I discovered one of the hardest timbers I have ever cut. There was approx 1/2 an inch of light creamy coloured sapwood which abruptly became VERY dark and almost like ebony but extremely hard. I split it with my chainsaw, there was almost no distinctive grain and the change from light to dark was almost instantaneous. unfortunately I do not have any photos or even the wood any more but I have often wondered what it was. I have had it suggested that it may have been gidgee. just wondering if any one may have any idea. The bark was somewhat similar to a young blackwood. The tree would have been maybe 12 feet tall.