Comments on: Beefwood

By: Don Rackemann

Don Rackemann — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 04:44:32 +0000

Dear Sir,
I spent 40 years midst Beef Wood as described herein and utilised it in Fencing and Stock Yard building in Central Queensland in the Marlborough region, “Lorna Vale” Station. In regard to the Category Title “ROT”; Beef Wood is extremely Rot Resistant in-ground and also in extreme outdoor climate variations as it seems the sap resin remains fixed in-grain as a preservative besides the wood fibre itself being resistant. Beef Wood is a pleasure to work with chainsaw and wood drills because of its relative softness in juxtaposition to its durability and hardiness in paddock conditions.It is also 100% Termite resistant! It is a solitary tree not necessarily clustered as in the conventional concepts of “forests” thereof however they will be scattered on given ridge sites of poorer soils with a clay subsoil underlayed by shale rock stratus in general where the soils are not necessarily deep. In paddock conditions Beef Wood is very resistant to fire, resisting ignition in fence lines. It has a unique quality if stacked into a pile and encouraged to ignite by forced kindling it will burn emitting profuse volumes of Black Smoke likened to a stack of car tires burning! Because of the emission of volumes of Black Smoke it was never used domestically as a wood stove source of fuel because the smoke carried profuse volumes of soot and would soon soot up the stove chimney necessitating frequent cleaning. Nevertheless, Beef Wood would burn very hot and we used it as fuel for paddock forging by which to sharpen fencing crowbars! I have milled Beef Wood and had constructed by a Master Cabinet Maker a Chest of Drawers which came up as a very refined piece without any movement of the timber over a period of 40 years to date and with a fine planed surface lustre compared to prime cabinet timbers, no pitting in the grain whatsoever. The milled tree was estimated to be 100 plus years of age from recorded Memory and was seasoned and used in cabinet making only five years after being felled. I have personally witnessed Beef Wood trees of vigorous quality equivalent to those in the Marlborough region scattered around the perimeter of Ayres Rock in 1966.

Just my thoughts,

Kind regards, Don Rackemann

By: Bob Danforth

Bob Danforth — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 17:08:55 +0000

There is a Bahamian tree locally called beefwood I had a log 6″ dia. and about 2 feet and is the only example I have seen. Very dark reddish and will sink in salt water.

By: Don Rackemann

Don Rackemann — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 01:34:10 +0000

In reply to Garth.

…yes, have also seen Beefwood survey pegs dating back to immediately post WW1 where Soldiers Settlement land around the arid Marlborough C.Q. region was subdivided into 160acre – approximate – “farms” across Brigalow/Bellah scrublands and including verge of Gum Topped and Ironbark forest which is now “Lorna Vale” Station my parents Arthur and Lorna Rackemann settled in 1959. The proposed Farms were never selected and understandably so because the area was insufficient to sustain a family living despite fertility of the scrubland the rainfall was torrential in Feb/March with little follow up…..and so the region was thrown open for Land Ballots by which my parents were selectors thereof. The Beefwood survey pegs were in near perfect condition then in 1959 some 40 years after WW1 and since that date, noted several retained their form when the property was sold in 1996 some 70 years after WW1. Likewise Rosewood of the area was just as hardy however it defied being worked due to extreme hardness while Beefwood was pleasurably soft in comparison, almost as fire, rot and termite resistant as Rosewood the latter of which is superb in that regard! I had bed bedheads and a cloths cupboard made of Beefwood besides some stock fencing however Rosewood was the supreme fencing timber for above reasons. A very brief summary of Beefwood in that region and a touch on “Lorna Vale” Station. Faithfully, Don Rackemann

By: Brian LUND

Brian LUND — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 01:40:00 +0000

I so like this reference database.
With reference to Beefwood, it grows all over Central Queensland, but extends down into NSW, SA, NT & WA. Likes drier country away from the coast, although it will grow well on creek flats as well as on the ridges.
Often used for fence posts out in the NW of Qld (and elsewhere, I presume).
Subject to borer attack, unfortunately – remains ‘sappy’ long after cut (often large reservoirs of sap will remain for many years).

By: Debbie Gibson

Debbie Gibson — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 18:56:40 +0000

In reply to Matthew. Matthew, do you have a live edge, or coat the cutting board entirely in resin?

By: Debbie Gibson

Debbie Gibson — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 18:55:52 +0000

I am love this timber, and have some aged. Very aged. I commissioned a bedside table and small table top. Even though the oil still in the timber after being saved from a fire, knocked down in the early 1990’s, it still had some oils, and was a real problem sanding. I am wondering if anyone has used this wonderful timber for cutting boards, and has anyone got a problem with toxicity, not from dust, but using the board as a food prep tool. Thanks in advance.

By: Garth

Garth — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 01:07:17 +0000

Regarding durability, I have found beefwood survey pegs in the outback which were over 100 years old. Early surveyors favoured beefwood for their pegs because of the long lasting characteristics of the wood.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 06:52:19 +0000

In reply to Rolf Hornum. I make resin grazing boards out of this wood and they turn out amazing.. hard to work with but the grain is amazing..

By: Rolf Hornum

Rolf Hornum — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 13:38:03 +0000

Finished beef wood and outer wood, almost like raised chequering