Past mining glories-Ravenswood (20-FNQ12)

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 continues to grace its streets 150 odd years later. I first visited the town in 1981 (see page: Ravenswood-a ghost town) when it 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 to visit, if you were in to ghost towns and photography. Fast forward to 2020 and there has been a transformation of the burb with paint, and signs noting historic significance, liberally splashed around. Sadly, many of the more frail buildings have been demolished. Also sadly, the tarting up was done a few years back and degeneration is again occurring to both the paint work and the legibility of the signs. While I enjoyed my recent visit, and understand the need to protect the buildings from the ravages of time, I actually preferred my visit of almost 40 years ago, when the true grit of the town and its inhabitants had been on full display. I will let you be the judge.