About Us

Gowan Lea Timbers is an independent, timber and building supplies merchant that has been in business on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast for over 25 years.

Known for our hardwoods, our range also includes other timber and building product lines such as pine framing, plywood, engineered timber, certified timber and more.

Few are able to match our knowledge, responsiveness and flexibility. Most of our specialist team has been with us for ten to 15 years. It’s the loyalty and relationship that counts.

Combined, our timber industry experience on construction projects, large and small, spans over 240 years.

If your job is out of the ordinary, ask us first and save yourself time and wasted money later on. Trouble-shooting and specifying the best timber for complex jobs is what we do best.

Our clients include local governments, national parks, commercial builders and architects, as well as homeowners seeking our expertise when it comes to specifying the best timber for the project.

Gowan Lea Timbers began over 25 years ago when our sawmill at Jandowae in SW QLD decided to open a small retail yard on the rapidly growing Sunshine Coast. From two staff, a forklift, a flat-bed truck and an office in a shipping container, it quickly grew and gained a solid reputation as having the best hardwood around.

It didn’t take us by surprise. Our mill – Gowan Lea Sawmilling Company – had been operating for over 40 years and was already a well-respected wholesaler of premium quality western QLD Spotted Gum and Ironbark products.

When the QLD State Government bought out and closed Gowan Lea Sawmilling Company through a Regional Forestry Agreement process in 2007, the retail yard was left

without a supply of the premium hardwood that our business relied upon.

It was then we entered into a productive relationship with Mary Valley Timbers, a green hardwood sawmill near Gympie, who had a similar focus on quality and cut 95% Spotted Gum and Ironbark.

In 2010 Gowan Lea Timbers was bought out by Mary Valley Timbers, giving us our own sawmill once again.

In 2013 we added the Lumberjacks Timber Treatment facility at Palmview to the group (opposite Aussie World and the Ettamogah Pub). Lumberjacks specialises in non-CCA, environmentally friendly ACQ / Tan-E hardwood timber treatment methods and has it’s own solar/gas kilns.

Gowan Lea Timbers has just been awarded the “Best Timber Merchant” in QLD at the recent Queensland Timber Industry Awards!

This is quite a prestigious industry award and hotly contested.

The judges obviously liked what they saw and I think they were pleased to see a family-owned, and independent merchant like Gowan Lea Timbers holding our own against the multi-national timber and hardware giants.

Reflecting on how we got to this point, I could point to all the investments we’ve made – to our yard and office, plant and equipment, marketing and advertising, IT systems etc, etc, but I think it’s our people that are our greatest asset and by far the single biggest factor in winning this award.

Let’s face it, we’re all basically selling the same stuff, so our only point of difference is the personal relationships we have with our customers and the quality service we continually strive to offer you.

As a business owner, the only way to achieve this is by surrounding yourself with great people.

Thanks to all our loyal customers for your support of the last 6 years!

Regards,

Anthony Thomas
Managing Director
Gowan Lea Timbers Pty Ltd