Rubyvale, Queensland
Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:GeoGroup Template:Infobox Australian place Rubyvale is a rural town and locality in the Central Highlands Region, Queensland, Australia.<ref name="qpnt">Template:Cite QPN</ref><ref>Template:Cite QPN</ref> In the Template:CensusAU, the town of Rubyvale had a population of 518 people.<ref name="Census2021"/>
Rubyvale was one of three towns within the 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 Template:Convert.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="globe2" />
Geography
The town is located near the south-east boundary of the locality.<ref name="globe2">Template:Queensland Globe</ref> The town is approximately Template:Convert west of Emerald. Sapphires are mined extensively in the area.
History
The name Rubyvale derives from a ruby weighing Template:Convert found near the town by miner William Dunn in the early 1900s.<ref name=qpnt/> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Rubyvale Provisional School opened on 19 October 1908. On 1 January 1909 it became Rubyvale State School. It closed in 1963.<ref name="qfhs">Template:Citation</ref>
Rubyvale was one of three towns within the 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 Template:Convert.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name="globe2" />
Demographics
In the Template:CensusAU, the town of Rubyvale had a population of 510 people.<ref name="Census2006">Template:Census 2006 AUS</ref>
In the Template:CensusAU, the town of Rubyvale had a population of 640 people.<ref name="Census2016">Template:Census 2016 AUS</ref>
In the Template:CensusAU, the town of Rubyvale had a population of 518 people.<ref name="Census2021">Template:Census 2021 AUS</ref>
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 (Template:Coord).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="globe2" />
Climate
The area can get up to Template:Convert during summer, and can reach Template:Convert in winter.
Heritage listings
Rubyvale has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
- Argyll (but nearest town is Rubyvale): Tomahawk Creek Huts<ref>Template:Cite QHR</ref>
References
Further reading
- Template:Cite book — 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.