Ravenswood
Located 89 kilometres east of Charters Towers, the heritage-listed township of Ravenswood was once a thriving gold mining town. Ravenswood is a must-see historical town, south of Flinders Highway. In 1868 while mustering cattle, Marmaduke Curr stopped to scoop up a drink of water from Elphinstone Creek and saw specks of alluvial gold in the bottom of his pannikin.
Ravenswood stands today as a living monument to the historical gold rush era when the town thrived with a booming population and over 48 hotels. Nowadays the population is estimated at 255 and only two hotels remain however they have been magnificently restored, capturing the essence of this historic era.
Two gold mines are in operation in the area. A large open cut mine behind the town and an underground mine at nearby Mount Wright, located approximately 95 kilometres south-west of Townsville and 65 kilometres east of Charters Towers. A great viewing platform has been constructed, accessible from the Clare Road, from which you can see old open cast mine workings.
Outdoor attractions such as White Blow (a huge quartz outcrop), camping grounds with good facilities, a golf course, a modest swimming pool and tennis courts are popular while there are also historic buildings and two hotels, the Railway Hotel and the Imperial Hotel. Visit the historic Court House and learn stories about the people who made Ravenswood. There any many original buildings in Ravenswood that still operate such as the general store, hotels, a church with its own ghost story, private miner's cottages and the school buildings to name a few. There are quite a few short distance walking trails that are interpreted throughout.
Burdekin Falls Dam is located 80 kilometres south of Ravenswood and holds 1,860,000 megalitres at full capacity. The Burdekin Falls Dam is an excellent weekend or overnight stopover. No camping is permitted on the dam foreshore; however camping facilities are available at the village. Sun Water controls the Dam and camping grounds with a caretaker in residence most of the time. A swimming pool, tennis court and shady camp sites are available, overlooking the picturesque Lake Dalrymple, as are barbecues, shelters and toilet facilities. A Stocked Impoundment Permit (SIP) is required to fish Lake Dalrymple and the Burdekin Falls Dam. Lake Dalrymple is open to all boating activities and no restrictions apply. A concrete boat ramp is provided.