Ravenswood School and Residence facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ravenswood School and Residence |
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Ravenswood School, 2002
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| Location | School Street, Ravenswood, Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s–1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1873–1897 |
| Architectural style(s) | Classicism |
| Official name: Ravenswood School and Residence | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600455 |
| Significant period | 1870s–1890s (historical) 1870s–1890s (fabric) |
| Significant components | school/school room, residential accommodation – headmaster's house |
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The Ravenswood School and Residence is a special heritage-listed school and house located on School Street in Ravenswood, Queensland, Australia. These buildings were constructed between 1873 and 1897. They were added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992, because of their historical importance.
Contents
A Look Back: School History
The Ravenswood School and its residence have been important parts of the community since 1873. The school building you see today is an extension from the 1880s, built onto the original school from 1873. The house, which is the residence, also dates back to 1873 and has been changed over the years to fit different needs.
Gold Rush and Early Education
Gold was found in Ravenswood in 1868. This happened a few years after people started settling in the area for farming. A small town quickly grew, and it was officially named in 1871. Many miners left when they found it hard to get gold from deeper rocks. However, Ravenswood still grew, and more families moved in. Soon, there was a clear need for a school.
In 1872, a group called the Ravenswood School Committee was formed. They started looking for builders to construct a school for the growing town. The government offered a teacher and books. But, communities with more than 30 possible students had to pay one-third of the school's building costs. The Committee raised a good amount of money. For a short time, classes were held in an old hotel they bought.
After some disagreements about plans and costs, the school and residence were finally built in 1873. They opened in January 1874. It started as a two-classroom school with 70 students. Because it was built before Queensland's State Education Act, it was known as the National School of Ravenswood.
Growing Pains and Changes
The school first sat on a piece of Crown Land. In 1875, the local board asked for more land. They thought the town would keep growing and might need a girls' school in the future. Over the next 40 years, the school's boundaries changed a lot. This reflected the good times and tough times Ravenswood faced.
Ravenswood's economy got better in the mid-1880s. This was thanks to the Great Northern railway arriving in 1884. Also, new ways to get gold from the ore were found. New public buildings, like a police station and post office, were built. In 1889, the school had its highest number of students, almost 400! It was made bigger with more classrooms and a gym.
Decline and Modern Times
Ravenswood had a boom between 1900 and 1908. But, the cost of getting gold became too high. After World War I, it was clear the gold mining would not recover. In the 1920s, many buildings and people left Ravenswood. By 1929, the school's student numbers dropped below 100. In 1930, Ravenswood lost its train connection.
As the town's population shrank, the school's extra parts were removed. However, you can still see where these extensions once stood. Today, the school is growing again. It has new classrooms and other modern facilities.
The Oldest House: School Residence
The school residence is believed to be the oldest building in Ravenswood. It might even be the oldest house still standing in a North Queensland town. Because it's so old, its design is unique. It was built before house designs became more standard across Queensland. For example, it didn't have an exposed frame, which became popular later.
How the House Grew
The house was first built in 1873. It was a low timber house with four rooms and a fireplace for cooking. The outside had weatherboards, but the inside walls were plain. There was no separate kitchen. At first, it only had a front verandah. But after a complaint, a back verandah was added in 1874.
In 1877, a teacher with a big family moved in. He asked for a separate kitchen. He said that cooking in the middle of sleeping areas was not good in this climate. So, an old house from another site was moved and attached to the main house. Later, part of the back verandah was enclosed to make a room for a servant.
In 1883, the main part of the house got ceilings. After storms in 1880 and 1884, repairs were made. The brick chimney was removed after a severe storm in 1884 and not rebuilt. In 1887, the old kitchen was replaced with a new one. The inside walls of the main house were also lined with tongue-and-groove boards. Local builders, Hans Thomsen and John Thomas, did this work.
In 1889, the head teacher asked for "more suitable" housing. This was when Ravenswood's public buildings were being upgraded. The school also had its highest number of students that year. So, the front verandah was removed. A new, almost square living room was added with verandahs on the front and one side.
The last major addition was in 1897. One whole side of the house was extended by eight feet to the north-east. This included adding a verandah on the third side of the living room. The verandahs also got ceilings at this time. Since then, only small changes have been made inside. The outside of the house looks almost the same as it did in 1897. It is still used as a teacher's home today.
What the Buildings Look Like
The Ravenswood School and Residence are on School Street. They stand out and overlook the town. Ravenswood is a mining area with old ruins and piles of dirt from mining. You can also see special chinkee apple trees and rubber vines around.
School Building Features
The school is a single-story, rectangular building. It faces the street. It has a timber frame and is covered with weatherboards. It stands on tall concrete stumps, which creates a cool, shaded area underneath. The roof is steeply sloped and covered with corrugated iron. It extends over a verandah at the front and an enclosed verandah at the back. The verandahs have timber posts and railings.
Residence Building Features
The residence is also a single-story, rectangular house facing the street. It has a timber frame and sits on low stumps. It is covered with weatherboards. Its shape is quite unique because of all the times it was extended. It has open verandahs with horizontal railings on two sides. The roof is steeply pitched, has many gables, and is covered with corrugated iron.
Why They Are Heritage Listed
The Ravenswood School and Residence were added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992. This means they are very important to Queensland's history and culture.
- Showing History: These buildings show how early schools were built in faraway places. They also show how important education and mining towns like Ravenswood were to the colony's economy. Their growth and shrinking reflect how Ravenswood's population changed as a goldfield and town.
- Unique History: The Ravenswood School residence, built in 1873, is special. It's the oldest known house in a North Queensland town. Its design and construction are different from later houses in the area. It's also the only one of the first government buildings in the goldfield that still stands.
- Learning from the Past: Because they are so old and their changes are well-recorded, these buildings can teach us a lot. Especially the residence, it can show us old building methods and how houses were made bigger over the 1800s and 1900s.
- Good Examples: The Ravenswood school is a great example of a school from its time. It has been used continuously for a long time. The residence shows perfectly how basic houses were expanded in the Queensland style.
- Community Connection: The school is very important to the Ravenswood community. It has provided public education for many generations of children.
