Currant
Bush is common across the Highlands as it thrives where Brigalow scrub has
been cleared and survives the harshest of conditions. As a sprawling shrub,
it rarely develops much more than a thumbs thickness for a trunk.
It is often
mistaken for it's close cousin Carissa lanceolatum, the real 'Conkerberry',
which is found further West and regularly sought out for it's beautiful
orange coloured timber.
The
shiny black fruits are edible once fully ripe and I have heard a story of a
prospector back in the Highlands early settlement days that survived on the
berries for some months.
A tinge of orange can just be seen on the top of this piece of Currant Bush
so the timber would be worth grabbing if big enough trunks are available.
The timber machined as beautifully as it's cousin, Conkerberry. It is
fine-grained, sands well and took an oil finish nicely.
After
several years of searching I finally found a specimen with a trunk about
60mm in diameter and thought it was Xmas - until we cut it and found two
huge Witchetty grubs had burrowed almost the full length of it. All I could
rescue was enough for an egg for the collection and this egg-timer. The claw
supports are Australian Ebony.
