Selecting the type of wood for your benchtop can be difficult as there are many suitable species available. Your main considerations may be aesthetic, ie what colour or grain most appeals to you, but timbers also vary in price, so you may find yourself constrained to certain choices by you budget.
Some of the more popular species used for timber benchtops are:
Red Gum: Grown in the mainlands of Australia. Perfect for a timber benchtop. Is extremely popular because of it's beautilful rich red colours, long lasting. You can't go wrong in choosing Red Gum.
Australian Ash: Pale brown in colour, sometimes with a pinkish tint, this wood occurs naturally in northern NSW.
Tasmanian Oak: This hardwood grows naturally in the cold climates of Tasmania, and some parts of Victoria and NSW. It can be pale pink or pale yellow-brown in tone with a coarse texture and a straight grain.
Black Butt: Growning in New South Wales and Mary borough in Queensland, also another popular choice for a timber benchtop. With light creamy colours, also will stand to the test of being used in a kitchen.
Jarrah: Grows naturally in south-western Australia and has a rich dark red tone and is a very heavy and dense wood.
Bluegum: Growing naturally along the east coast of Australia, Bluegum has a dark pink or reddy brown colour with a straight grain.