Wood products scientist/specialist with more than 25 years of experience in research, technical, commercial and management roles within the timber industry, both nationally and internationally.

Currently a PhD student investigating the effects of manufacturing processes and micro-structure on wood permeability and gluability through 3-D imaging.

Leggate, W., McGavin, R.L., and Bailleres, H. (Eds) (2017). A guide to manufacturing rotary veneer and products from small logs. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra, ACT.

McGavin, R.L., Leggate, W., Bailleres, H., Hopewell, G. and Fitzgerald, C. (2019). A guide to the rotary veneer processing of coconut palms. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra, ACT.

Gottstein Trust Fellowship Award 2017 - https://gottsteintrust.org/ 

Leggate, W., Palmer, G. and Walduck, B. (1998) Economic aspects of eucalypt hardwood plantation forestry- A case study on E. cloeziana plantations in SE Qld.  In Dyason, R., Dyason, L. and Garsden, R. (eds) Plantation and regrowth forestry: A diversity of opportunity. Proceedings of AustralianForest Growers Conference, Lismore, NSW, 6 - 9 July 1998, 229-244.

Leggate, W. (1998). The Queensland Hardwood Industry: Transition to a new resource. Australian Wood Review. December Issue.

Leggate, W. (1998).  Caring for logs before sawing.  Agroforestry News. 7 (5)

Leggate,W. (1999). Processing hardwoods: opportunities for collaboration in the Pacific.  PacificIslandForests & Trees.No.4, December, 1999.

Leggate, W., Palmer, G., McGavin, R. and Muneri, A. (2000).  Productivity, sawn recovery and potential rates of return from eucalypt plantations in Queensland. Paper prepared for presentation at: IUFRO Conference, The Future of Eucalypts for Wood Products. Launceston, Tasmania, 19-24 March 2000.

Leggate, W. (2018), Improving the durability performance of engineered wood products: A study tour of Europe and North America. Gottstein Trust Fellowship Report.

Leggate, W. and McGavin, R., and Lewis, T.  (2019). An assessment of native forests in Queensland for the potential supply of small-diameter peeler logs for spindleless lathe rotary-veneer processing. Bioresources 14(14), 9485-9499

Leggate, W., Redman, A., Wood, J., Bailleres, H. and Lee, D.J. (2019). Radial permeability of the hybrid pine (Pinus elliottii x Pinus caribaea) in Australia. Bioresources 14(2), 4358-4372.

Leggate, W., Shirmohammadi, M., McGavin, R., Chandra, K., Knackstedt, M., Knuefing, L., and Turner, M. (2020). Influence of wood’s anatomical and resin traits on the radial permeability of the hybrid pine (Pinus elliottii x Pinus caribaea) wood in Australia. Bioresources 15(3), 6851-6873.

Leggate, W., McGavin, R., Miao, C., Outhwaite, A., Chandra, K., Dorries, J., Kumar, C., and Knackstedt (2020). The influence of mechanical surface preparation methods on southern pine and spotted gum wood properties: Wettability and permeability. BioResources 15(4), 8554-8576.

Leggate, W., McGavin, R., Outhwaite, A., Dorries, J., Robinson, R., Kumar, C., Faircloth, A., and Knackstedt, M. (2021). The influence of mechanical surface preparation method, adhesive type and curing temperature on the bonding of Darwin stringybark. BioResources 16(1), 302-323

Leggate, W., McGavin, R., Outhwaite, A., Kumar, C., Faircloth, A., and Knackstedt, M. (2021). The influence of mechanical surface preparation methods on the bonding of southern pine and spotted gum: tensile shear strength of lap joints. BioResources 16(1), 46-61

Dickinson, G.R., Nikles, D.G., Leggate, W., Sun, D. and Robson, K. (1996).  Variation of Eucalyptus cloeziana in coastal north Queensland plantings and implications for future improvement strategies. In Tree Improvement for Sustainable tropical Forestry (eds Dieters, M.J., Matheson, C.A., Nikles, D.G., Harwood, C.E. and Walker, S.M.) Proc. QFRI-IUFRO Conference, Caloundra, Australia, October, 1996, pp 72-75.

Muneri, A., Leggate, W., and Palmer, G., (1999). Relationships between surface growth strain and some tree, wood and sawn timber characteristics of Eucalyptus cloeziana.  South African Forestry Journal – No.186, November, 1999. Pp 41-49.

Muneri, A., Leggate, W., and Palmer, G., (2000). Relationships between surface growth strain and tree size, wood properties and timber distortion of 4-year-old plantation grown Eucalyptus cloeziana.  Paper prepared for presentation at: IUFRO Conference, The Future of Eucalypts for Wood Products. Launceston, Tasmania 19-24 March 2000.

Venn, T.J., McGavin, R.M. and Leggate, W. (2004), Costs of portable sawmilling timbers from the acacia woodlands of western Queensland, Australia. Small-scale Forestry 3(2), 161-175.

McGavin, R.L. and Leggate, W. (2019). Comparison of processing methods for small-diameter logs: sawing versus rotary peeling. Bioresources 14(1), 1545-1563.

 McGavin, R.L., Leggate, W., Bailleres, H., Hopewell, G. and Fitzgerald, C. (2019). A guide to the rotary veneer processing of coconut palms. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra, ACT.

Dakin, T., and Leggate, W. (2019). Development of durable engineered wood products in Papua New Guinea and Australia. Report Number FST/2014/065. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra, ACT.

McGavin, R.L., Leggate, W., and Dorries, J. (2020). Increasing the value of forest resources through the development of advanced engineered wood products. Forest and Wood Products Australia Project Number: PNB407-1516

Wood, K., Morrell, J.J., and Leggate, W. (2020). Enhancing the durability of low durability eucalyptus plantation species: a review of strategies. Proc. IRG Conference, IRG/WP 20-40910.

Nguyen, T.T., Bailleres, H., Redman, A., Leggate, W., Vandi, L., and Heitzmann, M. (2020). Homogenous particleboard made from whole cotton (gossypium hirsutum L.) stalk agricultural waste: optimisation of particle size and influence of cotton residue on performance. Bioresources 15(4), 7730-7748

Part-time, Australian National University

Post Graduate Diploma in Forestry Studies

University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 

Bachelor of Science 

University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 

Leggate, W. (2018), Improving the durability performance of engineered wood products: A study tour of Europe and North America. Gottstein Trust Fellowship Report.

Leggate, W. and McGavin, R., and Lewis, T.  (2019). An assessment of native forests in Queensland for the potential supply of small-diameter peeler logs for spindleless lathe rotary-veneer processing. Bioresources 14(14), 9485-9499 

Leggate, W., Redman, A., Wood, J., Bailleres, H. and Lee, D.J. (2019). Radial permeability of the hybrid pine (Pinus elliottii x Pinus caribaea) in Australia. Bioresources 14(2), 4358-4372.

Leggate, W., Shirmohammadi, M., McGavin, R., Chandra, K., Knackstedt, M., Knuefing, L., and Turner, M. (2020). Influence of wood’s anatomical and resin traits on the radial permeability of the hybrid pine (Pinus elliottii x Pinus caribaea) wood in Australia. Bioresources 15(3), 6851-6873.

Leggate, W., McGavin, R., Miao, C., Outhwaite, A., Chandra, K., Dorries, J., Kumar, C., and Knackstedt (2020). The influence of mechanical surface preparation methods on southern pine and spotted gum wood properties: Wettability and permeability. BioResources 15(4), 8554-8576.

Leggate, W., McGavin, R., Outhwaite, A., Dorries, J., Robinson, R., Kumar, C., Faircloth, A., and Knackstedt, M. (2020). The influence of mechanical surface preparation method, adhesive type and curing temperature on the bonding of Darwin stringybark. BioResources 16(1), 302-323

Leggate, W., McGavin, R., Outhwaite, A., Kumar, C., Faircloth, A., and Knackstedt, M. (2020). The influence of mechanical surface preparation methods on the bonding of southern pine and spotted gum: tensile shear strength of lap joints. BioResources 16(1), 46-61

McGavin, R.L. and Leggate, W. (2019). Comparison of processing methods for small-diameter logs: sawing versus rotary peeling. Bioresources 14(1), 1545-1563.

McGavin, R.L., Leggate, W., Bailleres, H., Hopewell, G. and Fitzgerald, C. (2019). A guide to the rotary veneer processing of coconut palms. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra, ACT.

Dakin, T., and Leggate, W. (2019). Development of durable engineered wood products in Papua New Guinea and Australia. Report Number FST/2014/065. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra, ACT.

McGavin, R.L., Leggate, W., and Dorries, J. (2020). Increasing the value of forest resources through the development of advanced engineered wood products. Forest and Wood Products Australia Project Number: PNB407-1516

Wood, K., Morrell, J.J., and Leggate, W. (2020). Enhancing the durability of low durability eucalyptus plantation species: a review of strategies. Proc. IRG Conference, IRG/WP 20-40910.

Nguyen, T.T., Bailleres, H., Redman, A., Leggate, W., Vandi, L., and Heitzmann, M. (2020). Homogenous particleboard made from whole cotton (gossypium hirsutum L.) stalk agricultural waste: optimisation of particle size and influence of cotton residue on performance. Bioresources 15(4), 7730-7748

Wood science

Wood anatomy

Wood preservation, adhesion and durability