The Boys from the Bush story began in 2001 with the development of a social enterprise for young Indigenous offenders living on Cape York Peninsula. It was designed to compliment a number of sea based social enterprises also developed by Milton James for the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula area. The Cape York Peninsula enterprise, named Boys from the Bush, involved the production and sale of bush oils harvested from the wild by the young Indigenous participants. The story of this unique program can be found in the page titled 'Papers and Practice Notes' on this website. The enterprise is still operating today as the work component to a drug and alcohol treatment program for young people wanting to join RAWS. The sale of these products goes to help fund Boys from the Bush Projects, a not for profit social work organisation committed to helping disadvantaged young people from rural and remote communities.    

    Use:                                         Discomfort relief from insect bits, burns and arthritis

    Active ingrediants:     River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis)
                                                       Narrown-leaf Paperbark (Melaleuca Linariifolia)

    Price:                                     $8.50 plus postage and packaging 

Use:                                            A smooth anti-bacterial, anti-fungal body soap

 Active ingrediants:       Red Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis)
                                                      Narrow-leaf Paperback (Melaleuca Linariifolia)
                                                      Hand made coconut oil

Price:                                        $5.50 plus postage and packaging
    

Lemon-scented gum is an attractive medium-to-tall slender tree with straight, smooth, pink coloured trunk. This species of eucalypt is distinguished by the strong scent of lemon in the leaves. Lemon-scented gum grows naturally in patches in sub-tropical north Queensland. Its leaf oil has 25 compounds. The principle compounds are citronella (85-91%) and citronellol (8%). This oil can be used as a perfume, disinfectant, cleaner or insect repellent.

    


Price:    5ml bottle $5.50 plus postage and packaging
                 10ml bottle $10.50 plus postage and packaging

There are two lemon-scented euclypts, both are endemic to north Queensland. The Lemon-scented Ironbark is distinguished by the strong scent of sweet lemon in its leaves. The tree has a typical ironbark appearance. A small to medium sized tree that grows in a small area around the Palmer River in sub-tropical northern Queensland. Its leaf oil has 34 compounds. The principle components are limonene (14%), B-phellandrene (12%), terpinolene (5%) and a-phellandrene. This oil can be used for perfumery purposes, insect repellent or as food additive.

    

 Price:    5ml bottle $5.50 plus postage and packaging
                   10ml bottle $10.50 plus postage and packaging

River Red Gum is the most widely distributed of all eucalypts. This species grows under a wide range of climatic conditions from warm to hot, sub-humid to semi-arid environments. This species relies on seasonal flooding or a high water table. It grows along or near almost all seasonal watercourses. It is particularly prevalent along the Murray-Darling river system. Its leaf oil has 58 compounds. The principle components are 1.8-cineole (38-84%), spathulenol (18%) and globulol (10%). The oil can be used to treat burns, cuts, cold sores or infections. It can prevent bacterial and viral growth and can ease pain by numbing nerves. It can kill or repel a range of insects and ease the pain of insect bites. It can ease the pain of sore muscles, aches and pains, rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis.

 Price:       5ml bottle $5.50 plus postage and packaging
                     10ml bottle $10.50 plus postage and packaging 

Melaleuca citrolens was first described in 1986. It grows as a large shrub or small tree with slightly papery bark. It occurs across tropical Australia usually in small clumps in open forest or woodlands. The leaves are narrow obovate in shape. The leaf oil has a distict lemon-rose scent. The Boys from the Bush are the first to harvest this shrub for its oil. Its principle compounds are citronellol (40%), citronella (16%), geranial (4.8%), isopulegol (4.3%) and neral (3.6%). The primary value of this oil is its beautiful perfume and excellent insect repellent properties.

      
Price:        5ml bottle $5.50 plus postage and  packaging
                     10ml bottle $10.50 plus postage and packaging