Abstract The steam distilled essential oils of 14 samples of heartwood of Santalum macgregorii from Papua New Guinea have been examined by GC and GC/MS. Three extremes of composition have been identified, viz. one in which the oil was very similar to that from S. album, with large amounts of α- and β-santalol, a form with large amounts of (Z)-lanceol, and a form with large amounts of (E,E)-farnesol, (Z)-γ-curcumen-12-ol, (Z)-β-curcumen-12-ol and (Z)-nuciferol. It would appear from the analyses that chemotypes are not present; rather, there is a continuous variation in the oils of this species.