Tasmanian Oak

To the surprise of many people, Tasmanian Oak isn't actually a species of timber, it's a name given to a 'product' by the timber industry in Australia for marketing purposes quite a few years ago. This product involves numerous eucalypt species that look similar such as Vic ash, messmate, alpine ash and a few others. Having the the word 'Oak' in this name creates much confusion to many people who would like to match something to oak. I can only assume that that word was used in the name of this 'product' because the colours are very similar to American and European oak timbers. The colours in these species range from blondes, browns and pale pink. The grain is nearly always straight rather than wavy in Tassie oak because of the way the boards are cut from the log. It is therefore very important to be aware of this fact if you are trying to match up a new purchase with something else you have in your home made from Tassie oak.