About

Agathis robusta, the Queensland kauri (pine), kauri pine or smooth-barked kauri, is a coniferous tree in the family Araucariaceae. It has a disjunct distribution, occurring in Papua New Guinea and in two widely separated locations in Queensland, Australia. It was first described in 1859 and was heavily logged in the mid-19th century. It is not a true pine (family Pinaceae), despite the common name.

How to grow it

State-owned plantations of kauri were established in both north and south Queensland in the first half of the 20th century and met with varying degrees of success; however, today little more than 100 ha (250 acres) of plantation kauri exists.

More than 80 of these trees have been planted in the streets and parks of Cairns.

Where it grows

Agathis robusta occurs in three distinct locations—a southern population in southeast Queensland in the regions around Gympie, Maryborough, and K'gari (Fraser Island); another population in northeast Queensland in the regions from Ingham to Cooktown, including the Atherton Tablelands; and the third in New Guinea. The north Queensland population was formerly recognised as Agathis palmerstonii, but is now considered to be synonymous with the southern grouping.

Uses

This tree produces a high quality timber, which was used for a variety of purposes, such as cabinetmaking, joinery, framing, and plywood. This led to it being heavily logged from the mid-19th century, with the result that the large stands of these trees, which were once common, are now gone, although many individual trees may still be found. Logging in north Queensland continued until the establishment of the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage area in 1987.

Other Agathis plants

Blue Kauri · Kauri · Borneo Kauri · Dammar pine · Tahan Agathis · Kinabalu kauri · Western New Guinea kauri · Koghis Kauri · Tanggilan Kauri · Kauri · Bull Kauri · Panie kauri