History & Traditional Use



Melaleuca Alternifolia*

TTO comes from the Tea Tree plant which is scientifically identified as Melaleuca alternifolia. The plant is named Tea Tree as a result of Captain James Cook of the British ship H.M.S. Endeavor. In 1770, during his exploration of Australia, he discovered the native plant in which his sailors used its leaves to create tea, hence, the name ‘Tea Tree’. The most common use of this aromatic and medicinal plant is its production of medicinal essential oils (Southwell & Lowe, 1999). The plant originated specifically from New South Wales, Australia. According to Carson et. al (2006), the Tea Tree plant and the essential oil produced from it, has been used in Australia for almost 100 years. In fact, the “indigenous Bundjalung people of Eastern Australia are believed to have used tea trees as a traditional medicine for many years”, for instance, they crushed the leaves to release the oil, which they would inhale to treat a cold (Australian Tea Tree Industry Association, 2010). Moreover, TTO’s antimicrobial properties were already identified during the 1920s by Arthur Penfold and F.R. Morrison. At that time, TTO was claimed to be a topical germicidal product. By the 1930s, TTO was purchased all across Europe. In particular, during World War II, TTO was not only a household remedy, but also a part of an Australian soldier’s kit, which ultimately generated global awareness about its properties and uses. Finally, during the 1970s and 1980s, TT plantations and TTO distillation plants developed and continue to expand outside of Australia like Zimbabwe, New Zealand and China (Australian Tea Tree Industry Association, 2010; Southwell & Lowe, 1999). Today, TTO is found in drug stores, used in an array of products and applied in various treatments.



Captain James Cook*




Tea Tree Plantation*



*Image citations found in Sources and Additional Links Post