We have a small tree, unidentified, it was reputedly "From Australia" although I have an Oz. plant guide and cannot see it in there. It has soft wood, vigorous, strongly upright but shrub like with many vertical branches and few laterals, approx 15' tall. Evergreen in Victoria BC Zone 7 to 8-ish, the leaves are shiny, similar to but narrower than laurel, they grow directly from the branch all the way around the branch but mainly in the top 2 feet of the branch. It has insignificant flowers and green berries which mature to tight clusters of black, 1/4" hard and somewhat knobbly berries on the branch at the base of the leaves, that look to all the world like black peppercorns. It is not troubled by any pests or diseases here, we periodically whack off branches right back and it just keeps going. I have uploaded a closeup of the leaves and a green fruit cluster (June 14). A high res version is Here Somewhat challenged for any more photos because the wind is whipping it around today. Would be curious to find out what it is.
Thanks Ron -- Wax Myrtle or California Bayberry -- so it's actually a native here on the West Coast. That's funny that it was sold to us as an exotic "Australian" tree.
Probably looked like something else, got mis-labeled as such. This happens rather often in nurseries, actually.