Thread: Recommended place to buy timber in Tas

You can find a list of Tassie timber vendors here.
While you're in Hobart, be sure to visit the Huon Valley. There you'll find Island Specialty Timbers and the Phillips Sawmill, both at Geeveston about 65kms south of Hobart.

I was at Island specialty timbers(which is run by forestry Tasmania) a week or so ago and I must say the pickings there are pretty grim and expensive. The sassafras they had on offer was like Swiss cheese.
Phillips sawmill was a great little business who sold top quality timber at very reasonable prices but due to that insane I.G.A ( Intergovernmental forest agreement between Gillard and Giddings, state and federal but still on the same side) a while back they were paid out to shut down. The same agreement that locked up the rest of the available special timbers for ever on top of the near half the state that was already world heritage listed.
The only really good special timbers down here (except Huon pine) are in peoples sheds who had the foresight to put a bit away.
I have a bit of a stash but not enough to last the distance.
So Peter if you want to get a hold of some huon pine at a reasonable price while you are down here, then there is Bradshaws at Queenstown who sell milled timber and have a big yard of stumps logs etc. As for Myrtle or sassafras, forget it. Unless you want to take matters into your own hands, which I doubt you would seeing you are on holidays. I have not yet and I live here but I do think about it.
Aside from that you would probably get better deals on the mainland, sad but true.

Didn't know Phillips had closed down.
For celery top, there used to be a mill near Huonville on the Cygnet road but they shut down due to a lack of logs.

Originally Posted by snowyskiesau

Didn't know Phillips had closed down.
For celery top, there used to be a mill near Huonville on the Cygnet road but they shut down due to a lack of logs.

Yep they were Linnells.
Another one bit the dust.

And here we are in one of the most forested areas of Australia bristling with incredible timbers and it is hard to get a bit of wood to carve a toothpick out of.

Sad but true.

Originally Posted by Peter57

Currently in Tas with my wife and figure this might be a good opportunity to stock up on some turning blanks of various shapes and sizes. Especially given the fact that we drove down so I have plenty of space and no luggage restrictions.
Any suggested places I could visit? We are on the east coast and down around Hobart in a few days. Will probably return home up the middle of the state on our way back to the ferry.

Cheers,
Peter

Peter, If you are in Hobart shortly you are welcome to come to my workshop and check it out.(I'm about 20-25mins drive south)
Workshop is the key word, yard is full of furniture and house is full of chickens.
Most folk enjoy the experience.
Interested? send me an email and I'll git back to ya. Hope you have snowchains.
Happy and true!

Hi Peter,

About 4 years ago, SWMBO and I dropped into a Mum and Pop style sawmiil somewhere West of Burnie/Devenport area on the way across to Stanley. They had stocks of shorts in really interesting timbers, bits and pieces of myrtle, even some tiger myrtle, king billy pine, etc. It was on the main drag West, but a bit back to the East from the Dismal Swamp area, ( National Park in a crater, WELL worth a look), if only for the slide to the crater floor!
Sorry for sparse info, but Tassie Forumites might be able to update? They were nice people.

Cheers, Harry ( Redbog)

Originally Posted by Redbog

Hi Peter,

About 4 years ago, SWMBO and I dropped into a Mum and Pop style sawmiil somewhere West of Burnie/Devenport area on the way across to Stanley. They had stocks of shorts in really interesting timbers, bits and pieces of myrtle, even some tiger myrtle, king billy pine, etc. It was on the main drag West, but a bit back to the East from the Dismal Swamp area, ( National Park in a crater, WELL worth a look), if only for the slide to the crater floor!
Sorry for sparse info, but Tassie Forumites might be able to update? They were nice people.

Cheers, Harry ( Redbog)

Not any more, The guy died a few years back and the business is no longer. I believe he was a bit of an ace at racing cars as well. If it's the same place?

Originally Posted by artful bodger

Not any more, The guy died a few years back and the business is no longer. I believe he was a bit of an ace at racing cars as well. If it's the same place?

Hi Bodger,

Yep same bloke, had a bandsaw mill out the back, and photographs of himself in race cars in the office/display area. Shame, were really nice folks.

Cheers, Redbog

Sounds like it's slim pickings down here....... And here I was hoping that I'd be loaded to the gunwales with booty.

Sad really, you'de think with the abundance of timber here that a sustainable harvest model could be implemented and the product sold, even at a premium. But there are those out there that think everything should be locked up with access only permitted to the Birkenstock brigade.

Bodger, I'll drop you a pm. Would love to drop in.

cheers,
Peter

Not sure if it's still there but there was a place in Strahan, think Tasmanian special timbers had some nice stuff. That was five years ago though.

If you want to buy from Island Specialty Timbers I suggest it is best to give Chris Emmett a call 03 6295 7161 or 0419 998 452 and let him know what you want. There is more available that just what is in the showroom... You just need to let him know what you are looking for
Good luck!

There is, or used to be a guy who semi regularly turned up at Salamanca Market with blanks of various sizes and timber species that would have been suitable for turning purposes. As I don't turn I can't say I really ever took much notice of what specifically he had.

There are still a range of large and smaller scale sawmills operating in Tassie. I know since I work for the EPA and we regulate them. At least 4 of the sawmills listed on the listing don't actually operate anymore, but there could be more who have closed due to a variety of reasons, not all is to do with the Forestry agreement, Gunns thankfully went bankrupt, and Kelly's burnt down in the Dunally fires a few years back.

Morrison's at Strahan have or had a Huon Pine sawmill, you used to be able to buy from them huon offcuts some of which might have been suitable for turning purposes.

HI PETER
You can buy huon pine in Strahan at western softwood sawmill call and see Daniel Crane, I brought some there today at a good price, Give me a call if you come though Deloraine and check out the community shed 0409623024. are you enjoying your stay in tassi regardles of the cold weather regards john t.

Seems to be a commonality between the Tassie and the Far North Queensland timber industries. All of the major millers are long gone in FNQ and only a handful of small mills left but they are struggling to obtain logs. Only chance now is to find timber stashes if you have the financial resources and can afford to buy "lots." Most timber hoarders want to sell as a lot, not by small volumes.