Rubyvale
town
Stateqld
Coordinates23.4191°S 147.6983°E
Zoom10
Pop518
Area337.1
Postcode4702
Time zoneAEST
Utc+10:00
Dist 162.1
Dir 1WNW
Location 1Emerald
Dist 2332
Dir 2W
Location 2Rockhampton
Dist 3894
Dir 3NW
Location 3Brisbane
LgaCentral Highlands Region
StategovGregory
FedgovFlynn
Near-nArgyll
Near-neCarbine Creek
Near-eFork Lagoons
Near-seSapphire Central
Near-sAnakie Siding
Near-swWillows
Near-wArgyll
Near-nwArgyll

Rubyvale is a rural town and locality in the Central Highlands Region, Queensland, Australia.[1][2] In the , the town of Rubyvale had a population of 518 people.[3]

Geography

The town is located near the south-east boundary of the locality.[4] The town is approximately 61 kilometres (38 mi) west of Emerald. Sapphires are mined extensively in the area.[5]

History

The name Rubyvale derives from a ruby weighing 5 to 6 dwt found near the town by miner William Dunn in the early 1900s.[1] Dunn was very proud of the ruby and did not sell it but showed it to people he trusted; after his death the ruby could not be found.[6]

Rubyvale Provisional School opened on 19 October 1908. On 1 January 1909 it became Rubyvale State School. It closed in 1963.[7]

Rubyvale was one of three towns within the former locality of The Gemfields (the others being Sapphire and Anakie) until 17 April 2020, when the Queensland Government decided to replace The Gemfields with three new localities (Rubyvale, Sapphire Central and Anakie Siding) based around each of the three towns respectively. The boundaries of Argyll were also modified to accommodate the introduction of the locality of Rubyvale with an area of 337.1 square kilometres (130.2 sq mi).[8][9][10][4]

Demographics

In the , the town of Rubyvale had a population of 510 people.[11]

In the , the town of Rubyvale had a population of 640 people.[12]

In the , the town of Rubyvale had a population of 518 people.[3]

Amenities

Rubyvale has a convenience store/news agents, post office, hotel and take-away bottle shop, as well as a variety of accommodation and fossicking areas. Some popular places to go fossicking are the Bob n John Mine, Bobby Dazzler and Pats Gems.

The Central Highlands Regional Council operates a public library at 7 Burridge Road (23.42°S 147.6998°E).[13]

Education

There are no schools in Rubyvale. The nearest government primary school is Anakie State School in Anakie Siding to the south. The nearest government secondary schools are Emerald State High School in Emerald to the east and Capella State High School in Capella to the north-east.[4]

Climate

The area can get up to 40 °C (104 °F) during summer, and can reach 0 °C (32 °F) in winter.[citation needed]

Heritage listings

Rubyvale has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

References

  1. ^ Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  2. ^ Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  3. ^
  4. ^
  5. ^ "Sapphire Gemfields". Central Queensland Highlands. Retrieved 2026-03-28.
  6. ^ "The State's mystery town of wealth". The Courier-mail. 18 November 1950. p. 2. Retrieved 23 April 2020. – via Trove.
  7. ^ Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present, Version 1.01 ed., Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  8. ^ "Recent place name decisions: Job number 18-115: The Gemfields". Queensland Government. 17 April 2020. Archived 17 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  9. ^ "Proposed Locality Boundaries and Names: Anakie Siding, Argyll, Emerald, Gindie, Lochington, Minerva, Rubyvale and Sapphire Central". Queensland Government. 2019. Archived 17 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  10. ^ "Locality Boundaries and Names: Anakie Siding, Argyll, Emerald, Gindie, Lochington, Minerva, Rubyvale and Sapphire Central". Queensland Government. 17 April 2020. Archived 17 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  11. ^
  12. ^
  13. ^ "Locations". Central Highlands Regional Council. Archived 31 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  14. ^ Retrieved 7 July 2013.

Further reading

  • ((Anakie State School.)) (1984). And then there was one : Anakie 1885-1985.. Anakie State School. — via State Library of Queensland. Includes Sapphire State School, Rubyvale State School, Bogantungan State School, Lochington State School, Taroborah Provisional School, and Withersfield State School.