Notes from the last meeting, 15 Nov 2005: Peter Beatty of the Forest Products Commission gave us a powerpoint talk about the history and future of WA sandalwood. Western Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) was first cut and exported from WesternAustralia in 1845. Sandalwood cutting was part of the economy of clearing land in the wheatbe many roads were created for that purpose. Between 1892 and 1901 more than 50,000 tonnes were exported from Western Australia with nearly all this wood derived from the Wheatbelt as agricultural country was opened up. The best stands of sandalwood once occurred in the Wheatbelt, but today it is found mainly in the semi-arid areas of the Goldfields and Midwest. For most of this industry's history the resource has been derived from natural stands.
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