Last remaining stock • In 4 active carts right now • Only 212 ever made
Merv's Red Gum Lantern
Merv's Red Gum Lantern
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Merv's Red Gum Lantern
Cut by hand from a 212-year-old Murray river red gum, after the storm brought it down
Merv Hinksman, seventy-six, Barmah, Victoria. Forty-four years at the head saw and fifty-three years married to the woman who kept a light in his window. His hands are finished, and 212 bases are all that is left.
“A broker from Sydney offered to take every board by the cubic metre, cash, one appointment. It would have ended up as fourteen-hundred-dollar lamps in hotel foyers, and nobody would ever have been told where it came from. Elva kept a light in our kitchen window for fifty-three years. That tree isn’t leaving here by the cubic metre.”
— Merv Hinksman, retired sawmiller, Barmah, Victoria
“Three things tell you what you’ve got: the ring count, the weight and the smell. A moulded base can fake the look of one of them. Nobody fakes all three. And a red gum that size and that age, standing on its own out on the bend — most foresters go a whole career without seeing one come down. What is on that man’s shelves is the last of it. There is no second tree to go and get.”
— Doug Treloar, retired forester, Murray red gum country
- Real Murray red gum, not a print. A hand-sanded, oiled base cut from one 212-year-old tree — with a kitchen-table test anyone can run in about ten seconds.
- Yours exists once. The rings, the grain and the ribbon figure never repeat, so no two bases are the same.
- A documented year. A hand-numbered base and a card naming the year your ring grew — not a generic authenticity slip.
- No cord, no power point. Battery-operated, so it sits on a windowsill, a bedside table or a bookshelf — wherever somebody should see a light.
- Small on purpose. About 9.5 centimetres tall, made for a windowsill or a bedside table, not a table lamp. Heartwood from a single trunk only goes so far, and Merv wanted it to reach 212 homes.
- 212 exist and there is no restock. The tree came down in February 2024, and Merv is out of the shed on 30 November. After that the rest are posted from Bendigo, while stock lasts.
If it doesn’t make you switch off the big light the first night, send it back within 30 days and get your money back. In forty-four years at the mill, nobody ever sent a board of Merv’s back.
Every base is cut from a different part of the same trunk. Ring width, colour and figure vary from lantern to lantern — the photographs show examples, not the exact base you will receive. That variation is the wood, not a defect.
The lantern is small: about 9.5 cm tall and 7 cm wide. It is a windowsill and bedside light, not a room lamp. We would rather say so here than have anyone surprised when the box arrives.
| Base | Murray river red gum heartwood, all from a single tree, Barmah, Victoria |
| Base finish | Hand-sanded and oil-rubbed. No stain, no lacquer |
| Shade | Glass, with a branching-tree design inside |
| Light | Warm white |
| Power | Battery-operated, no cord |
| Size | Approx. 7 × 7 × 9.5 cm |
| Weight | Approx. 130 g |
| Numbering | Hand-numbered 1–212 on the underside of the base |
| In the box | Lantern, ring card, gift box |
| Timber recovered by | Merv Hinksman, Barmah, Victoria — tree came up around 1812, brought down by a summer storm in February 2024 |
| Quantity available | 212 pieces. No restock. Shed closes 30 November; remaining stock posted from Bendigo. |
| Shipping | Free Australia-wide shipping, dispatched within 1–2 business days |
The Final Sale
The Final Sale
Message from Merv:
The shed outside Barmah closes on 30 November. Two hundred and twelve lanterns is everything that is left of the red gum my wife watched from the kitchen window for fifty-three years. Every base was cut, sanded and numbered by hand, on the nights I could not sleep. Nothing rushed. Nothing outsourced.
When they are gone, they are gone — and so is the shed. There is no second tree.
Free Shipping
Free Shipping
Free shipping across Australia
- Dispatched within 1–2 business days
- Delivery time: 3–6 business days
- Insured: every parcel is fully insured
🌳 Carbon-neutral shipping
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here's how to reach us.
Got a question? Here's how to reach us.
My daughter Robyn and I personally reply to every single email — as fast as we possibly can. Whether you have a question about your order or just want to talk timber, we’re here.
You can reach us:
- Mon – Fri: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (AEST)
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (AEST)
Email: info@cedarandtinco.com
Can I return my order if I don't like it?
Can I return my order if I don't like it?
Of course. We stand behind everything on Cedar & Tin Co. 100%. If you're not happy, neither are we. Just shoot us an email within 90 days and we'll make it right — no hassle, no headaches.
How are your products made?
How are your products made?
Every single product on Cedar & Tin is 100% handmade — crafted by hand, using only premium quality materials. We're proud to carry on a tradition of craftsmanship that has been passed down through generations.