Australian Sandalwood

Sandalwood shaped Australia's early economic history. In the 1840s it became Western Australia's single largest export earner, driving the colony's trade. Oil was first distilled in 1875, establishing a small but significant production that fluctuated through the early 20th century. Rising global demand and wild harvest pressures eventually prompted conservation measures in the 1920s, limiting natural harvests and supporting regeneration programs. Australian plantations now operate at scale, providing the fragrance industry with a reliable, sustainably sourced supply. The first Australian sandalwood distillations reached international perfumers in the early 2000s, introducing a wilder, more assertive profile that differs noticeably from the softer, ancient character of Indian sandalwood. The continent's harsher landscape imprints the oil with a ruggedness that perfumers value.