Have you tried emailing any commercial seed suppliers, Phil? Best of luck. Trish

"To enhance the red colour on the NSW Christmas Bush (Ceratopetalum gummiferum), apply 50g of sulphate of iron per each 2m high bush in October." I am quoting a titbit I saved from somewhere but have never actually got around to using. My Christmas bush looks as though it will take forever to get around to flowering. It never gets watered, and I don't really think it likes it here. Best of luck with yours. Trish

California. In the 1850s Eucalyptus trees were introduced to California by Australians travelling to California during the California Gold Rush. Much of California has a similar climate to parts of Australia. By the early 1900s thousands of acres of eucalypts were planted with the encouragement of the state government. It was hoped that they would provide a renewable source of timber for construction and furniture making. They went on to note that the promise of eucalyptus in California was based on the old virgin forests of Australia. This was a mistake as the young trees being harvested in California could not compare in quality to the centuries-old eucalyptus timber of Australia. It reacted differently to harvest. The older trees didn't split or warp as the infant California crop did. There was a vast difference between the two, and this would doom the California eucalyptus industry.[11] One way in which the eucalyptus, mainly the blue gum E. globulus, proved valuable in California was in providing windbreaks for highways, orange groves, and other farms in the mostly treeless central part of the state. They are also admired as shade and ornamental trees in many cities and gardens. Eucalyptus forests in California have been criticised because they compete with native plants and do not support native animals. Fire is also a problem. The 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm which destroyed almost 3,000 homes and killed 25 people was partly fueled by large numbers of eucalypts in the area close to the houses.[12] In some parts of California eucalypt forests are being removed and native trees and plants restored. Individuals have also illegally destroyed some trees and are suspected of introducing insect pests from Australia which attack the trees.[13]

Hi Gordon, As I'm on the "wrong" side of the country, you'd still be better with local advice on this. I would say, though, that heat alone is not a problem, as they grow fine on the Gold Coast and Brisbane, with reasonably hot (and humid) summers. But out wet season is summer and you are wetter in winter? which might not matter if you have good drainage. Though they like full sun, the spot you mention, of course, is going to be very much exposed, so whatever goes in there could need a lot of mulching and be possibly subject to more extreme heat off that paving. So with a bit of research and prep you may well decide to go for this. My only other comment is that, seedling grown plants can be very variable in colour, and if you are looking for a stunning colour you may need to hunt around nurseries to actually find a shrub of the shape and intensity of colour, that you want for your feature.