Sugar Gum (Eucalyptus cladocalyx) originates in South Australia in three distinct populations: the Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula and Kangaroo Island.
Sugar Gum is also widely planted across the drier western district of Victora as a windbreak or shelterbelt and for durable farming timber as well as magnificent firewood.
Sawn timber harvested from sugar gum has little defect and is prized for its durability. It is particularly suited to situations requiring high strength where appearance is also important, such as flooring and joinery. Its durability also makes it a valuable timber for exterior applications such as cladding, decking, outdoor furniture and pickets.
The Forests Commission recognised value of sugar gum from its earliest days.
A plantation near Majorca (south of Maryborough) was established in about 1887 to supply mining timbers when it was thought there would be a shortage due to the slow regrowth of local native timbers after being cleared.
But the mines closed before the plantation fully developed and then became a valuable resource of durable fencing timber and firewood.
The current stand is thick regrowth coppice from previous harvesting that would respond well to thinning.
Photos – April 2026, Peter McHugh
Victoria’s Forests & Bushfire Heritage 