Rosewood

By Geoff Holloway

Rosewood (Acacia fasciculifera) Other Names: Spearwood, rose wattle, scaly bark, scrub ironwood.

The Rosewood tree grows to 10 – 20 metres and 0.6 metre diameter. Straight trunk with grey furrowed bark. Foliage is long narrow leaves with a prominent central vein. The heartwood is reddish/brown, with very narrow sapwood, straight fine grain, hard, heavy and tough. Density 1120kg/m3.

Rosewood was numerous in the original Rosewood scrub and the town of Rosewood in Ipswich was originally named after Acacia fasciculifera, but was heavily logged for construction, mining props, poles, fencing and shingles in the early years of settlement. The wood is now difficult to obtain but probably not considered a craft wood.