Ravenswood Ambulance Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ravenswood Ambulance Station |
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Ravenswood Ambulance Station, 1997
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| Location | Deighton Street, Ravenswood, Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900 - 1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | 1904 |
| Official name: Ravenswood Ambulance Station, Ambulance Building | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600445 |
| Significant period | 1904 (fabric) 1904-Ongoing (historical) |
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The Ravenswood Ambulance Station is a special old building in Ravenswood, Australia. It was built in 1904 and has been used as an ambulance station for over a hundred years. It's so important that it was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992, meaning it's protected for future generations.
Contents
History of the Ambulance Station
The Ravenswood Ambulance Building was built in 1904. It has always been important to the Ravenswood community. It helped sick and injured people. When the local hospital closed, the ambulance station became even more vital. For over 30 years, the Royal Flying Doctor Service has used it for regular clinics. This shows how much the building has helped the community.
Ravenswood's Gold Rush Days
Ravenswood was once a very important gold mining town in North Queensland. Finding gold helped decide where railways were built. It also shaped where businesses and towns grew. Some gold towns were quick "rushes" that disappeared fast. Others, like Ravenswood, became proper towns with buildings and homes. But many of these towns faded when the gold ran out.
Europeans first settled in this area after Bowen was founded in 1861. Soon, large farms called pastoral runs were set up. Gold was found near Ravenswood in 1867. The gold was in rocks, called reefs. A small machine to crush rocks was set up in 1869. The town was officially mapped out in 1870. But the town had already grown in its own way, so the map just made it official. This is why some main streets are not perfectly straight.
Ravenswood became an official town in 1871. But soon, problems arose. The gold deep underground was hard to separate from other minerals. This needed expensive new machines. Many miners left for other goldfields, like Charters Towers. Charters Towers quickly became more important than Ravenswood.
Growth and Challenges
Even with problems, Ravenswood kept going. Gold was still found, though less of it. Silver was also discovered nearby in 1878. Ravenswood also became a busy trading center. By 1874, the town had a courthouse, police station, post office, and a school. The first hospital was built in 1871. The town became more stable when the railway arrived in 1884. Better ways to get gold from the ore also helped. New public buildings were built, including a new hospital in 1887.
In 1899, a new company called New Ravenswood Company was started. It brought in money from other countries. Old mines were reopened, and new methods were used to get gold more efficiently. The company made back its money very quickly. This made Ravenswood very successful. It was the town's best time.
Why an Ambulance Station Was Needed
In the 1890s, people realized they needed trained help for the sick and injured. They also needed a way to get them to the hospital. So, the Queensland Ambulance Transport Brigade (QATB) was formed in Brisbane. Charters Towers started the second QATB branch in 1900. Mining was a dangerous job. Accidents were common because safety rules often couldn't keep up with the fast growth. In Ravenswood, between 1879 and 1917, many miners were hurt or killed. The town's water was also unsafe, causing sickness.
The ambulance center was first set up on Macrossan Street. This date is even written on the front of the current ambulance building. Ambulances had special harnesses. These were used to pull injured miners out of mine shafts. In 1904, the current building was constructed. At this time, Ravenswood had its highest population ever, with 4700 people.
Decline and Revival
After 1908, the town started to shrink. The hospital closed. It became too expensive to get gold from the mines. The New Ravenswood Company started to lose money. They had to let miners go. A long strike in 1912 also caused problems. The decline continued when World War I started in 1914. This made costs go up and fewer workers were available. Buildings were sold and moved away. In 1916, train services were cut. The New Ravenswood Company closed in 1917.
In the 1920s, most of Ravenswood's wooden buildings were moved. But brick buildings, like the ambulance station, stayed. In 1929, the Ravenswood Shire joined another area. In 1930, Ravenswood lost its railway connection. This also meant it lost the special railway ambulance that had served the town since 1919. Mining had a small comeback in the 1930s, but it didn't change the town much. By the 1960s, Ravenswood had very few people, only about 70.
Then, tourists started to become interested in the town. People began to study and protect the old buildings. In the 1980s, the whole town was listed as important by the Australian Heritage Commission and the National Trust of Queensland. In 1987, a new company opened a modern open-cut mine.
After the hospital closed, the ambulance service often gave medical advice. The center had staff until the 1950s. The building was also used for storage sometimes. In the 1960s, the Royal Flying Doctor Service started holding monthly clinics there. These clinics still happen today.
The building was repaired and updated in the 1990s. It still provides medical services to the community. It also hosts a part-time children's play group. The State Emergency Service built a storage shed behind the building in 1997.
What the Ambulance Station Looks Like
The Ravenswood Ambulance Station is on Deighton Street. It's near the Elphinstone Creek. It's a one-story building made of brick with a smooth finish. It's shaped like a rectangle. The longer side faces away from the street. The roof is made of corrugated iron and slopes down at the back. It has a fancy metal vent on the top.
The front of the building has a pointed wall at the top. It's not perfectly even. The main door is in the middle. To the left of the door is a large arched opening for the ambulance vehicle. To the right is a window that slides up and down. The building has decorative parts, like ribbed columns and two Maltese cross symbols. The words "Ambulance" and "1902" are raised on the wall. There is a lamp above the doorway.
Inside, there is space for the ambulance. There are also several rooms on one side. These rooms have wooden walls, concrete and wooden floors, and flat metal ceilings.
Why This Place Is Special
The Ravenswood Ambulance Station was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. This means it meets certain important standards.
Showing Queensland's History
Mining was very important for Queensland's growth. The Ambulance Station is one of the few buildings left from Ravenswood's busy gold rush days. Accidents were common in early mines. Also, many mining towns had unsafe water, which caused sickness. So, the Ambulance Station offered a very important service. It was built early and later provided more medical help when the town's population dropped and the hospital closed. This shows a common pattern of growth and decline in many mining towns.
A Great Example of an Ambulance Station
This building is a good example of an early ambulance station. It had space for the ambulance, staff, and an office. It was a small building in a central spot.
Beautiful and Important
The Ambulance Station is a nice-looking building. It's one of the few brick buildings left from Ravenswood's boom years. This makes it an important part of the town's look.
Strong Community Connection
The Ambulance Station has a long and special connection with the Ravenswood community. It also has a strong link to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
