Ravenswood

Ravenswood is a rural town and locality in the Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia.

Ravenswood is a rural town and locality in the Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census the locality of Ravenswood had a population of 255 people.It is historically and currently a gold mining town.

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.

Silver was discovered in the area in 1870 by W. Stable. Ravenswood State School opened on 27 October 1873.From 1879 to 1930, Ravenswood was the administrative centre for local government, initially of Ravenswood Division (1879–1903) and later of the Shire of Ravenswood (1903–1930). 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.Sandy Creek Provisional School opened on 26 June 1885. In 1886 it was renamed Evlinton Provisional School. On 1 January 1909 it became Evlington State School. It closed in 1921.Kirk River Provisional School opened on 1 October 1890. On 1 June 1929 it became Kirk River State School, but then closed on 8 May 1930. In 1934 it reopened as Kirk River Provisional School. It closed in 1944.Kirk Diggings Provisional School opened on 1903 but closed and reopened a number of times before finally closing circa 1918.Pandanus Creek Provisional School opened in 1909, becoming Pandanus Creek State School on 1 May 1909. It closedin 1926.At the 2006 census Ravenswood had a population of 191.At the 2011 census Ravenswood had a population of 349 people.In the 2016 census the locality of Ravenswood had a population of 255 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.