Sandalwood – Worth More Alive than Dead?

Western Australian Sandalwood trees have been commercially harvested and exported from Western Australia (mainly to Asia) since 1845. These native trees are closely related to the Indian Sandalwood, currently grown in plantations in the Kimberley. Like the Indian species, they also produce a fragrant oil in the heartwood. Harvesting of this natural resource, which results in the tree being ripped from the ground, was for many years unregulated.

Even today, with a regulated commercial harvest, much illegal harvesting still occurs. As a result, sandalwood has been seriously overexploited. Today, it faces further threats, including a lack of natural regeneration, overgrazing and climate change, and consequently is now struggling to survive over much of its former range.

This Tuesday, 13 October, the Perth Branch of the Wildflower Society will be hosting a talk by sandalwood researcher Richard McLellan, on the plight of our native sandalwood. It’s sure to be interesting. Doors at the Subiaco Community Centre open at 7.45 pm with the meeting beginning at 8 pm. The $3 door donation gets you entry into the night’s door prize. All are welcome.