Historical information
Some decades ago a card sorting set for the identification and description of Australian timbers was developed for timber species which were available commercially and were in common usage, by the Commonwealth of Australia (CSIRO, Division of Forest Products)
To complement and inform this national timber set each State or Territory developed reference timber sets of representative species. The Commercial Timbers of Victoria set was Victoria’s most recent (circa 1984) expression of this
Victorian timber samples were sourced from logs selected by Forest Commission of Victoria (FCV) District Foresters and milled locally. Kiln drying and machining was carried out at timber producers Row, Web and Anderson, in Port Melbourne.
Labeling and boxing was done by FCV Timber Inspectors, with box and booklet design and graphics handled in-house
More recent timber samples were badged as Conservation Forests & Lands, reflecting historical government restructuring in the early 1980s
Info: Simon Murphy
Significance
Provided the public, industry (timber and associated), and educational facilities with a reference collection of notable Victorian timbers.
Initially in a reduced format from 1940-50s, with boxed sets produced from 1981 until 1984
Physical description
A boxed set of timber samples representing the 20 tree species that were considered to be the most notable in Victoria.
The set also includes an information booklet.
Each timber specimen has information on species, occurrence, uses and physical properties
Produced for sale by the the FCV and later by the Department of Conservation Forests and Lands. (CFL).