coach building timber

[Ivan V]

Hello all, joined the forum quite some time ago and only now I have a question which I can't find an answer to. Couple years ago I bought my self a project which as my brother said I may need three lifetimes to complete.
The car is a damaged and without some parts a 1949 Healey Duncan which I bought of an elderly gentleman from Sydney (Australia). I have done most of the mechanical work and now I am looking at redoing the woodwork which is all but rotted away. Since I live in Melbourne Australia I would like to know which local wood type is best to use. The original wood was European ash which was very good at rotting away and get eaten by the borers.
Gratefully Ivan