Ghost towns-Ravenswood

The town of Ravenswood, south-west of the north Queensland coastal city of Townsville, developed on the back of the discovery of gold in the 1860s. In its heyday, it was a rich and a thriving place, as indicated by the colonial architecture that graces its streets. On my first visit, in 1981, Ravenswood was in the middle of nowhere, down the end of a dusty gravel track, with most of its buildings totally unloved and in varying states of disrepair. In other words, it was a fantastic place if ghost towns and photography were your thing. What stood out was the utter isolation of the place, and an appreciation of the grit required by the mid to late 19th century pioneers who made the decision to live and work in this remote part of Australia. I was excited to make a return visit in 2020 (Page: Past mining glories-Ravenswood) and while it was still an interesting place, it had lost some of its historic charm due to the need to restore buildings, the demolition of many of the historic houses and the opening of a new mine.

Macrossan Street, Ravenswood with the Imperial Hotel in sight

The Railway Hotel, Ravenswood

Ravenswood Ambulance

Hall or church in Ravenswood

Thorp's Buildings was constructed for Sydney Hood Thorp, a mining agent and sharebroker who had a substantial business interest in both the Ravenswood and Charters Towers goldfields. It housed businesses which supplied miners with everything from household goods to mining machinery and is the only two storey shop still standing in Ravenswood (https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:155609)

Gas light, Thorps Building

The Imperial Hotel

School of Arts, built in 1884

Likely a miners hut

Formerly the Ravenswood Catholic Church, now the Community Church

Cottages of Ravenswood

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