Hoop Pine

By Geoff Holloway

Hoop Pine (Araucaria cunninghamii) can be found in tropical and sub-tropical rainforests from northern NSW to Cape York. The Hoop Pine is a conifer from the Araucariaceae family which existed 220 million years ago on Gondwanaland, before flowering trees evolved. The Araucarias created the coal deposits we mine today.

The tree can grow to 50 metres and live for 400 years, the bark splits horizontally at regular intervals giving the common name, Hoop Pine. Other Australian natives from this family are Bunya Pine (Araucaria bidwillii), Kauri Pine (Agathis robusta) and Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis).

Pine Mountain in Ipswich was named after the Hoop Pine which covered large areas of the mountain before settlement then heavily logged for housing, many older Ipswich houses have hoop pine walls, floors and mouldings.

The hills around Rosewood were also covered in hoop pines as was Mt. Flinders, there are still stands of hoop pine in the Rosewood area and in the Sandy Creek Track area which is part of the Flinders-Goolman Conservation Estate, an area maintained by the Ipswich City Council. Hoop pines were extracted for many years from 1845 – 1980’s and processed in numerous sawmills in the greater Ipswich area.      

The wood is firm, strong, fine-textured of medium density and considered the best of the conifers for joinery, flooring, panelling, plywood and mouldings. Hoop Pine is not from the Pinus genus unlike the introduced Pinus radiata which has taken over from the Hoop Pine for housing construction.

Identifying the Hoop Pine amongst other pines: The Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla) has similar foliage but is easily identified by the distinctive triangular profile of the tree. The Bunya has very different foliage and a rounded crown.