Cake Shop, Ravenswood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cake Shop, Ravenswood |
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Cake Shop, 1997
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| Location | Macrossan Street, Ravenswood, Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1880s |
| Official name: Cake Shop, Ravenswood, Jun Yeung Wong and Company, The Pie Shop | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600449 |
| Significant period | 1880s (fabric) 1880s-1947, 1990s-ongoing (historical use) |
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The Cake Shop is a special old building located on Macrossan Street in Ravenswood, Australia. It was built a long time ago, in the 1880s. Over the years, it has been known by other names, like Jun Yeung Wong & Company and The Pie Shop. Today, it is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's an important part of history that needs to be protected.
Contents
A Look Back: The Cake Shop's Story
The Cake Shop is on the west side of Macrossan Street, close to the School of Arts. People believe it was built in the 1880s. It might have first been used by a company called Jun Yeung Wong and Company. They probably sold goods and fresh produce from gardens there.
Over many years, different people used the shop for various businesses. Many locals remember it best as a place to buy delicious cakes or pies.
Ravenswood's Gold Rush Days
Ravenswood was once a very important gold mining town in North Queensland. Gold was found there in 1868. This discovery helped the town grow quickly. Railways were built, and new businesses started up.
At first, Ravenswood was a busy place with many miners. But soon, they found that the gold was hard to get out of the ground. It was mixed with other minerals. This made it expensive and difficult to mine. Many miners left for other goldfields, like Charters Towers, which became a bigger town.
Growing and Changing
Even though many miners left, Ravenswood kept going. It still produced some gold, and silver was found nearby in 1878. The town also became a trading center for the area. By 1874, Ravenswood had important buildings like a courthouse, police station, post office, and a school. The railway arrived in 1884, which helped the town even more.
The land where the Cake Shop stands was bought by Frederick Wise in 1882. He ran a store there. Some people remember it being used by Chinese people as a general store and a place to trade gold. The name "Jun Yeung Wong and Company" was even visible on the shop's front for a long time.
From Cordial to Cakes
In 1904, Daniel Patience bought the property. A woman named Mrs. Watson then ran it as a shop that made and sold cordial (a sweet drink). This was connected to her husband's factory that made fizzy drinks.
By 1918, Ravenswood was starting to decline. Mining costs were rising, and gold was harder to find. Many buildings were even moved to other towns. The shop was then sold to the Kluver family. Mrs. Kluver ran it as a refreshment room, selling food and drinks.
In 1924, Ethel Wadsworth bought the shop. She also ran refreshment rooms. The town had a small boost in the 1930s and early 1940s because of new mining technology. But the shop closed in 1947. In its final years, it was called a restaurant, but it was mostly known as a cake and pie shop with tables for customers. This is how many local people remember it.
A Quiet Time and New Beginnings
After 1947, the shop might have been empty for a while. In 1952, Gertrude Blackman bought it. People remember it being used as a home during this time because there were very few businesses left in town.
In 1966, the owners of Ravenswood station bought the shop. They even used it to store animal feed. The town's population became very small, with only about 70 people.
However, things started to change! Tourists became interested in Ravenswood's history. People began to study and save the old buildings. In the 1980s, the whole town was listed as a heritage area. In 1987, a new gold mine opened nearby, bringing new life to the area.
The current owner bought the Cake Shop in 1986. But in 1989, two cyclones badly damaged it. With help from the government and local council, the shop was repaired in 1991. They even used some of the original materials to fix the front of the store. In 1993, the back part of the shop and a house attached to it were taken down. After all the repairs, a new gift, craft, and cake shop opened in the building.
What the Cake Shop Looks Like
The Cake Shop is a simple, one-story building made of timber. It sits on low stumps. Its roof and outside walls are made of corrugated galvanised iron (a type of metal sheeting). The front of the shop has wooden boards and a metal roof (called a skillion awning) that sticks out over the footpath. This awning is held up by plain wooden posts.
Above the awning, the front of the building has metal panels. The main entrance is in the middle, with large shop windows on either side. Inside, there are special display areas behind the windows. The floor is made of timber, and most of the inside walls are not covered.
Why the Cake Shop is Important
The Cake Shop in Ravenswood was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992. This means it's a very important historical place for several reasons:
- It shows how Queensland's history unfolded. Ravenswood was one of the first major gold mining towns in North Queensland. The gold rush helped the region grow a lot. The Cake Shop was a business in the middle of Ravenswood's main street, showing how the town developed.
- It's a rare example of old buildings. While it's a simple timber and iron shop, it's one of the few buildings left from Ravenswood's busy past. It helps us understand what the town looked like when it was thriving. It's a good example of a common type of building that used to be everywhere in Ravenswood.
- It adds to the town's beauty and history. The Cake Shop is one of only a few buildings remaining from Ravenswood's busiest years. It stands in a mining landscape with old mine ruins and piles of dirt. The shop helps make the town look unique and adds to its historical feel.
