Railway Hotel, Ravenswood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Railway Hotel, Ravenswood |
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Railway Hotel at night, 2011
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| Location | Barton Street, Ravenswood, Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900 - 1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | c. 1901 |
| Official name: Railway Hotel, Ravenswood | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600443 |
| Significant period | 1900s (fabric) c. 1901-ongoing (historical use) |
| Significant components | cellar, furniture/fittings |
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The Railway Hotel is a historic building in Ravenswood, Queensland, Australia. It's a special hotel that was built around 1901. It's so important that it's listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. This means it's protected because of its history and unique features. The hotel is a large brick building. It stands across from where the railway station used to be. It is one of the few old buildings left from Ravenswood's gold mining past.
Contents
A Glimpse into History
The Railway Hotel was built around 1901 for a man named John Moran. It was actually the second hotel with this name that he owned in the same spot.
Gold Rush in Queensland
In the 1800s, finding gold in Queensland was a big deal. It helped North Queensland grow a lot. Where gold was found often decided where railways were built. It also shaped where towns and businesses started. Some gold rush towns were only temporary. They would appear quickly and then disappear. Other towns, like Ravenswood, became more permanent. They had government buildings, shops, and homes.
Ravenswood's Beginnings
Europeans first settled in this area after 1861. Large farms, called pastoral runs, were set up. Gold was found on one of these runs in 1867. This area became known as Ravenswood.
Most of the early gold was found near three dry creeks. A settlement quickly grew there with tents and small shacks. Gold in Ravenswood was found in rock veins called reefs. Machines were set up to crush the rock and get the gold out. The town was officially surveyed in 1870. But the streets and buildings were already in place. This is why some main streets are a bit uneven. Ravenswood became an official town in 1871. At that time, it had 30 hotels and about 1,000 people!
Challenges and Growth
Getting gold from deeper levels became harder. The gold was mixed with other minerals. This made it difficult to separate. It also cost a lot more money to use new technologies. Many miners left for other goldfields. Charters Towers, discovered in 1871, quickly became more important.
Even so, Ravenswood kept going. It still produced some gold. Silver was also found nearby in 1878. The town also became a business hub. By 1874, it had a courthouse, police station, and a school. Wooden shacks were replaced by proper timber buildings. More families moved in, making the town more stable.
The Railway Arrives
The Great Northern railway helped Ravenswood in the 1880s. It passed near the town in 1881. This made it cheaper to transport goods. A branch line connected Ravenswood directly in 1884. Around this time, a man named Hugh Barton bought several mines. He tried new ways to process the gold. His efforts helped create jobs and keep the town stable.
The first Railway Hotel was built in 1886. It was made of timber. John Moran took over the hotel in 1893. He also partly owned the London Mine, which was across from the hotel. It was very handy, being close to the railway.
A New Era and the Current Hotel
In 1899, a new company called New Ravenswood Company started. They brought in money from other countries. They reopened old mines and reprocessed old waste. This made the town very successful. It was Ravenswood's most prosperous time.
In early 1901, a fancy new hotel, the Imperial, opened. But it soon burned down. It was replaced by an even more stylish one. John Moran likely built the current Railway Hotel around this time too.
The original timber hotel was moved to make way for the new brick one. It burned down shortly after. 1901 was a year of many fires. Many buildings were destroyed. Several, including the Imperial Hotel, were rebuilt with bricks. Bricks were made locally in Ravenswood. But it's said the bricks for the Railway Hotel came from Moran's own property. This new hotel offered cheaper rooms in the basement. It had better quality rooms on the top floor. The Moran family ran the hotel until the 1950s.
Decline and Revival
Ravenswood's population was highest in 1903, with 4,700 people. But after 1908, the town started to shrink. It became too expensive to get gold out of the ground. A big strike in 1912 lasted eight months. This caused a lot of hardship. The New Ravenswood Company closed in 1917.
In the 1920s, many timber buildings were moved away. But the Railway Hotel was made of brick, so it stayed. It kept operating. In 1930, Ravenswood lost its railway connection. The town reached its lowest point in the 1960s, with only about 70 people.
However, tourists started to become interested in the town. People began to work on saving the old buildings. In the 1980s, the whole town was listed as important heritage. A new mine opened in 1987. The hotels, like the Railway Hotel, have helped keep the town alive. The Railway Hotel now offers rooms and fun activities for the new miners.
The Railway Hotel was renovated in 1988. The verandahs were fixed, and the building was painted. A special lift was put in to bring supplies from the old cellar. The old bar was also restored. More work was done in 1996 to repair the brick supports.
What the Hotel Looks Like
The Railway Hotel is on Barton Street. It's across from the old courthouse and railway station site. It's one of the few buildings left from old Ravenswood. The area around it still shows signs of mining. You can see disturbed ground and piles of leftover rock. There are also unique chinkee apples and rubber vines growing nearby.
The hotel sits on a hill that slopes down towards Elphinstone Creek. It has three floors, but only two are visible from the street. The "basement" floor can be seen from the side and back. It sits on brick supports. The roof is covered with corrugated iron. It's hidden by a brick wall at the top, called a parapet. The building is made of red bricks. They are laid in a pattern called English bond. The hotel is shaped like a "U". The top floor has rooms for guests. The bar, kitchens, and dining room are on the street level. The "basement" level has large storage rooms. It also has living space for the manager's family.
The front of the hotel has a two-story verandah. It also wraps around the right side of the building. The verandah is supported by pairs of posts. These posts have fancy wooden brackets and wooden railings. On the street level, there are decorative wrought iron arches. French doors open from the rooms onto the verandahs. There are also sash windows at the front.
Inside, the hotel still has many original features. These include beautiful pressed metal ceilings. Some of the old furniture and fittings are also still there.
Why It's Important
The Railway Hotel in Ravenswood is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. This means it's very important for several reasons.
Showing Queensland's History
Gold mining was a huge part of North Queensland's growth. The Railway Hotel is one of the few buildings left from Ravenswood's important gold mining past. It's a well-preserved hotel. It was named for and built near the old railway station. It shows how prosperous the town was around 1900. It also shows how the town later declined. This pattern was common in many goldfield towns.
A Great Example of Its Kind
The Railway Hotel is a wonderful example of a hotel from its time. Its design, layout, and inside decorations are excellent. Both the inside and outside details are very well kept. It has been used as a hotel for almost 100 years.
Beautiful Architecture
The Railway Hotel is a beautiful example of Federation style hotel architecture. It's a large, two-story building. It's one of only two hotels left in town. This makes it a very important and noticeable building in Ravenswood.
