White cypress pine is a softwood widely distributed in inland areas of Australia with moderate rainfall. Today it forms extensive forests only in the Tambo-Dalby-Inglewood region of southern Queensland and the Baradine-Narrabri and Cobar districts of northern New South Wales. White cypress pine is a small to medium-sized tree, usually growing to about 18 m tall and 0.45 m in diameter at breast height, but occasionally reaching 30 m by 0.9 m.

Wood description [more info]
Heartwood is light-yellow to dark-brown and has frequent dark-brown knots, and sapwood is pale yellow and wide. The texture is very fine and even and grain is straight. The wood has a characteristic resinous odour and has a slightly greasy feel.

Wood density [more info]
Green density is about 770 kg/m3, air-dry density about 680 kg/m3, and basic density about 580 kg/m3.

Shrinkage [more info]
Tangential and radial shrinkage of mature wood before reconditioning are 2.8 % and 2.1 % respectively, and after reconditioning both are 2.1 %. For immature wood, tangential and radial shrinkage before reconditioning are 3.6 % and 2.9 % respectively, and after reconditioning 3.2 % and 2.9 % respectively.

Workability [more info]
With workability, the timber is brittle and care is needed when working. Knots and resin are common, which can affect workability. It is inadvisable to dress timber at low moisture contents because of its brittleness, and it tends to split when nailed and pre-drilling is recommended. Owing to its susceptibility to fine surface checking, white cypress pine is one timber which gives a better painting performance when coated in the unseasoned condition, and by slowing the initial drying rate the coating inhibits the formation of checks. The timber is unusual in that both sapwood and heartwood are very difficult to impregnate with preservatives, even when high pressures are applied.

Durability [more info]
Durability Class based on the CSIRO 1996 ratings is 2 for decay, and 2 for decay + termites combined. The sapwood is resistant to Lyctus borer attack because the insects do not attack softwoods, only pored species.

Strength group and properties [more info]
Green and seasoned strength groups are S5 and SD6 respectively. The more important strength properties are given in the table below.

Uses [more info]
Uses are flooring and lining boards, building framework, posts and small poles. The wood is not favoured for paper manufacture owing to frequent knots and high extractives content.

Availability [more info]
There is very limited availability in Western Australia, although other species are readily available in other States.