RAVENSTHORPE After a couple of days Route 40 comes to an end at Ravensthorpe. Ravensthorpe is a small town with limited provision of services. That said all that one needs is on offer. In 1848, the area was surveyed by Surveyor General John Septimus Roe who named many of the geographical features nearby, including the nearby Ravensthorpe Range that the town is named after. The area was first settled by the Dunn brothers during the 1868. James Dunn discovered gold at Annabel creek and was awarded a claim by the government. More profitable discoveries followed in 1900 that resulted in a boom. The population climbed to over 1000 and by 1901 the government gazetted the town of Ravensthorpe The government completed construction of a copper and gold smelter about 2km south east of the town in 1906, used to cast copper and gold ingots. At its peak of production the smelter employed over 120 men, the now disused smelter is still there and is surrounded by massive piles of tailings waste. The area continued to prosper and the population grew accordingly, by 1909 the population was over 3000. The prosperity was short-lived; World War I took its toll on the town and by 1918 the local copper smelter had closed and many of the copper and gold mines had closed. The War Memorial is an appropriate/moving monument to the fallen. The Anglican Church is nearly 100 years old. The Hotel is the classic corner pub. The Museum is housed within the Information centre and gives a good insight into the colourful history of the town. Ravensthorpe is a nice place and a stopover is recommended.