River Ranch is a rural

locality Locality may refer to: * Locality, a historical named location or place in Canada * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localitie ...

in the

Gladstone Region Gladstone Region is a Local government in Australia, local government area in Queensland, Australia. The council covers an area of , and has an estimated operating budget of Australian dollar, A$84 million. In the , the Gladstone Region had a ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, Australia. In the , River Ranch had a population of 269 people.

Geography

The '' Calliope River'' forms part of the western boundary before flowing through to form part of the eastern boundary. Calliope Crossing is a ford over the river (). The

Bruce Highway The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast on its way to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is part of the Australian Natio ...

passes through the north of the locality.

History

In 1930, a bridge was built at the Calliope Crossing over the Calliope River to replace the dangerous stone causeway which was under the water and was slimy and dangerous. When the weather was bad, the causeway could not be used, necessitating a deviation to avoid it. The bridge carried the

until it was rerouted further north and crosses the river at Burua. The centenary celebrations of the Shire of Calliope in 1979 created a collection of historic material, which led to the establishment of the Port Curtis Historical Society. As a new bridge was being constructed for the

to cross the Calliope River, the diversion of the highway to the new bridge created a parcel of land that the shire proposed to use as a historical village. Following site works, the village commenced operation in 1983 with the arrival of the first building, the Ambrose railway station.

Demographics

In the , River Ranch had a population of 313 people. In the , River Ranch had a population of 357 people. In the , River Ranch had a population of 269 people.

Education

There are no schools in River Ranch. The nearest government primary and secondary schools are Calliope State School and Calliope State High School, both in neighbouring

Calliope In Greek mythology, Calliope ( ; ) is the Muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry; so called from the ecstatic harmony of her voice. Hesiod and Ovid called her the "Chief of all Muses". Mythology Calliope had two famous sons, OrpheusH ...

to the south-east.

Amenities

There is a boat ramp via Old Bruce Highway on the north bank of the Calliope River (). It is managed by the Gladstone Regional Council. It is adjacent to the Old Bruce Highway Fishing Bridge (), which has been closed to traffic since 2009, but is still accessible for fishing.

Attractions

The Calliope River Historical Village is at 50951

, but accessed from the Old Bruce Highway where it crosses the Calliope River ().

References

{{Gladstone Region Gladstone Region Localities in Queensland