Ravenswood, Queensland


Ravenswood is a rural town and locality in the Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia. It is historically and currently a gold mining town. In the, Ravenswood had a population of 255 people.

Geography

Ravenswood is approximately south of Mingela, and about from Charters Towers.

History

After the discovery of gold in 1868 through to the early 1900s, the township flourished and grew to nearly 5000 residents and boasted 48 hotels. Several historic buildings remain from this period. Due to an industrial strike in 1912 and subsequently World War I, by 1915 mining declined and the town was deserted.
From 1879 to 1930, Ravenswood was the administrative centre for local government, initially of Ravenswood Division and later of the Shire of Ravenswood. However, with the decline in Ravenwood's population, it was no longer financially viable to have a separate local government authority, and the Shire of Ravenswood was absorbed into the Shire of Dalrymple.
Ravenswood Convent School opened in 1885 in association with St Patrick's Catholic Church. It closed in 1948.
At the Ravenswood had a population of 191.
At the Ravenswood had a population of 349 people.
In August 2017, an early cemetery in Ravenswood was found by contractors using ground penetrating radar while working on Carpentaria Gold’s Ravenswood Expansion Project. The 16 graves of 9 adults and 7 children were found behind the Ravenswood State School sports oval; the burials are thought to have occurred in the late 1860s and early 1870s. Forensic archeologists will attempt to obtain DNA from the remains.

Economy

Two gold mines are in operation in the area, a large opencut behind the town and an underground one at nearby Mount Wright. These days with the current mining operation, the population has grown from 200 to nearly 500. Tourism is also an important industry.

Amenities

Facilities in the town include a combined general store and post office, a primary school and two pubs, the Railway and the Imperial. Fuel can be obtained from both Top Camp near the entrance to the town and the post office. Top Camp also offers meals and bungalow style accommodation.

Heritage listings

Ravenswood has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: