Although <I>A. mearnsii</I> has been considered native to South Australia the earliest specimen at the herbarium is a cultivated one of 1892. It had been listed even earlier (as <I>A. mollissima</I>) in 1859. It was not listed as being cultivated in 1871 and 1878. The earliest specimen from the South-East was from Glencoe in 1917 and from Hindmarsh Valley in 1925. It was spontaneous at Aldgate by 1944. The first collection from Eyre Peninsula was in 1965. This suggests that it may not be native even to the South-East and that it is certainly introduced to the Southern Lofty and Eyre Peninsula regions.<P>Hendry & van Staden (1982) studied the effects of scarification, dry heat and wet heat on the germination of <I>A. mearnsii</I>. Scarification was the most successful achieving near 100% germination in 4 days compared with almost zero for the controls. In addition abrasion with sand was less effective than treatment with sulphuric acid. Treatment with solvents was not effective.<P><I>A. mearnsii</I> is now well established in South Africa. It has been used extensively as a source of tannin, firewood and timber. Although native to eastern Australia, it was named from South African material where it was thought to be native, Ross (1975). It is also locally established in southern Europe. <I>A. mearnsii</I> is now naturalised in New Zealand, Webb et al. (1988).<P>A monograph on the black wattle was published by Sherry (1971). The Volume is not readily available in South Australia and the copy seen came from the C.S.I.R.O. Forestry & Timber Bureau library in Canberra. Botanical features of the plant are described relatively briefly and most of the book is an account of its cultivation throughout the world. Notes on introduction and use to the countries of Africa, Asia, Europe and America are followed by a detailed account of its use as a plantation crop in South Africa. <P>Black wattle must be one of the few Australian plants that have had a Research Institute founded on its use and the Wattle Research Institute was established in Natal in 1941. By the late 1960s there were 243,000 ha. (600,000 acres) in cultivation in South Africa with a further 240 ha in Zimbabwe. As a result it is one of the few Australian plants on which there is even elementary knowledge of genetics and tree-breeding. <P>In 1971 black wattle supplied about 38% of the world's demand for vegetable tans. However the development of chrome tanning is likely to reduce the demand for vegetable tans. <P><I>A. mearnsii</I>, because of its rapid growth rate, has been a useful fuel tree in India and Africa. The timber has been used for light wood constructions but is virtually ignored in Australia.<P>Henderson (1989) has shown that <I>A. mearnsii</I> is one of the most abundant woody invasive aliens in both Savanna and Grassland biomes of the Orange Free State, South Africa.<P>A manual on wattle growing (in South Africa) was published by Beard (1957) presumably principally on <I>A. mearnsii</I> but this has not been available to us.<P>The only mistletoe recorded on <I>A. mearnsii</I> in South Australia is <I>Amyema preissii</I>, wire-leaved mistletoe which has a wide host range of <I>Acacia</I>.<P>Wool may be dyed with all parts of <I>A. mearnsii</I>. The colours may range from grey-fawn to gold depending on the mordants used, Martin (1974).<P><I>A. mearnsii</I> was included in Boland et al. (1984) 'Forest Trees of Australia' where a description, illustrations and a map are given.