Charters Towers and Ravenswood Heritage

– Through a Lens

Introduction

This Charters Towers and Ravenswood Heritage – Through a Lens photobook showcases the heritage-listed buildings of these towns. Also, the book presents brief historical overviews for each town.

For Charters Towers, following a brief overview, 28 colour images depict its heritage, and a short discussion emphasises its history and impact in North Queensland. Furthermore, eight colour images hark back to Ravenswood’s gold mining past, and a short discussion summarises its history, captures the present, and identifies its potential future.

Overview of Charters Towers

Charters Towers is a rural and former prominent gold mining city in North Queensland. The 2021 census records its population, as 11,794. The city, first promulgated as a municipality in 1878, lies 136Km (85 miles) to the south west of Townsville. The city is in the geographical and administrative centre of the area governed by Charters Regional Council – approximately 66,388 sq km.

Gold mining

Charters Towers was a force to be reckoned with during the gold mining boom between 1872 and 1899. Its population reached 27,500, it operated its own Stock Exchange, had its own newspaper – The Northern Miner, and some 65 hotels. During this period the town was often referred to as ‘The World’ as one could buy anything they needed in the town. In the end Charters Towers produced 200 tonnes of gold from 10 major gold reefs.

Other notable events included: The post opened in 1872; the railway line from Townsville was completed in 1882; the hospital opened in 1884; and the Stock Exchange opened in 1888-89.

After the gold mining era

The city suffered badly from the end of the gold mining era and relied on servicing the pastoral industry, providing education facilities for children from families living in the west, and retirees basing themselves in the city.

More recently, since the 1970s, the city is building a small tourism industry to complement its other activities. This tourism is founded on historical aspects of gold mining, maintaining its historical buildings (as shown in this book) and annual events such as the Goldfield Ashes (which can attract near 200 teams) over the Australia Day weekend.

Charters Towers is located on the lands of its traditional owners – the Gudjal people.

Overview of Ravenswood

The discovery of gold

Thomas Aitken from Ravenswood station discovered gold on the pastoral run in 1868 (where Ravenswood now stands). This field was inland, 70 miles south of Townsville. Ravenswood was gazetted as a town in 1871 (population 1000 and 30 hotels!). This led to the construction of public infrastructure as a post office, courthouse and a school.

Gold mining and prosperity

In April 1869, 140 men worked the goldfield. The field was challenged by the need to move from alluvial to reef mining which required capital investment. Many miners moved on to Charters Towers. Even so, Ravenswood continued to produce gold: gold production at Ravenswood was 214,652 ounces (1868-1878); 283,473 ounces (1878-1898); and 401,556 ounces (1898-1948); giving a total of 899,681 ounces (1868-1948).

In 1881 the railway from Townsville to Charters Towers passed close by assisting with Ravenswood development. A branch line from Mingela was installed in 1884. Ravenswood’s most prosperous years were between 1900 and 1904. By 1912 Ravenswood’s mining activities were in decline. World War I had a further negative impact with the reduced availability of labour. The London North Mine and New Ravenswood Company closed in 1915 and 1917 respectively. The railway services were cut in 1916. Ravenswood became the first town in Queensland to lose its railway when it closed in 1930.

Decline in mining and the future

The town’s population peaked in 1903 at 5,000 people. In the 2021 census, the locality of Ravenswood had a population of 297 people. Nevertheless, Ravenswood operates two hotels (a hearty lunch is available), a post office, general store and a number of small businesses. Also, a small number of historical buildings grace the small town.

The Australian Heritage Commission and National Trust of Queensland listed the whole town in the 1980s.

As explained in our book, gold mining is resuming leading to some regrowth for the town.

Charters Towers and Ravenswood Heritage Book

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