| Ravenshoe Queensland |
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Ravenshoe
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| Population: | 910 (2006 Census)[1] |
| Postcode: | 4888 |
| Elevation: | 930 m (3,051 ft) |
| Location: | |
| LGA: | Tablelands Region |
| State District: | Dalrymple |
| Federal Division: | Kennedy |
Ravenshoe ( /ˈreɪvənz.hoʊ/ ray-vənz-hoh)[2] is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is located 123 kilometres (76 mi) south west of the regional centre, Cairns. At the 2006 census, Ravenshoe had a population of 910.[1]
At 930 metres (3,050 ft) above sea level, Ravenshoe is the highest town in Queensland, with Queensland's highest pub "The Top Pub" and highest railway station. Across from the top pub is Win's Gallery, showcasing local woodcraft and the paintings of Winsome Board.[3] It also has the Millstream Falls, the widest waterfall in Australia. Traditionally the main industry in Ravenshoe was timber, but since 1987, when the government made 900,000 hectares (2,200,000 acres) of surrounding rainforest world heritage listed, the main industries have been tourism, beef and dairy farming.
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Ravenshoe was founded in 1881 by John Moffat as a timber town, after the discovery of a vast amount of cedar trees by William Mazlin. It was needed to provide for the growing population in the area at the time due to the tin rush in Herberton and Irvinebank. The city of Cairns was originally founded because the tableland was so prosperous at the time it needed a port from which to export tin and hemp. Ravenshoe's first saw mill was built in 1899.
Ravenshoe was connected with Cairns by railway with the opening of the last section on 11 December 1916[4].
Ravenshoe is located close to waterfalls, crater lakes, swamps, bush walks, water holes, rainforests and historical landmarks. It also has a number of galleries and creative industries, reflecting the nature of the locals. The Windy Hill Wind Farm was owned by Stanwell Co. (now owned by Queensland Government's Transfield Services Infrastructure Fund) generating enough electricity to power several towns (together with the koombooloomba dam hydro electric dams ). Ravenshoe Steam Railway operates to Tumoulin. Ravenshoe also has an extremely diverse variety of plants and animals, with 12 species of possum and 8 species of Kangaroo and abundant bird life in the area.[5] There is a dirt bike track for which people come from all over the tablelands to use, and a pony club — horse riding trails the biggest and best horse riding club on the tablelands
Misty Mountain Wilderness trails are a network of extensive walking tracks that traverse Tully Gorge National Park and Wooroonooran National Park. There are bushwalks to the Millstream Falls as well as Little Millstream Falls.
Ravenshoe has a bakery, which is well known for its bread, an IGA Supermarket/Grocery Store, a post office, a medical centre, a video shop, a Mitre 10, a Retravision, two primary schools (Ravenshoe State School and St Teresa's Primary School) and a high school (Ravenshoe State High School). There are plans underway to build a sports and recreation centre there because the high altitude is good for professional sports and training (about 900 metres (3,000 ft) above sea level on the Great Dividing Range). They are going to put a 50-metre (164 ft) pool in-doors .
It is said by locals that there is a yowie in the Malaan Rainforest, known as the malaan monster. There have been many reports of people seeing him over the years. There is reputed to be some sort of big cat living in the rainforest in the area as well. It is believed that the billabong known as the "Army Hole"[6] due to its function as an army swimming spot in the war is haunted by the ghosts of several people who have drowned there over the years.
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