In World War II as part of the Atherton Project, tent encampments were established by the Australian Army (6th and 7th Divisions) near Ravenshoe, Wondecla and Wongabel. The Ravenshoe Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns was established in 1949. St Teresa's Catholic School was established in 1950 by the Sisters of Mercy. The single-room school building was the former Catholic Church at Irvinebank which was relocated to Ravenshoe. On opening there were 60 children enrolled from Years 1 through 7. In 1978 the Sisters of Mercy ended their role in the school, being replaced by lay teachers. St Barnabas' School was established in 1953 by the Bush Brotherhood of St Barnabas. Reginald Halse, Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane unveiled a plaque on 27 September 1952 to mark the site of the new school, a block of land in anticipation of the school offering agricultural subjects. It closed on 31 October 1990. In 1992, the Queensland Education Department purchased St Barnabas' to establish a separate secondary campus for Ravenshoe State School. Tully Falls State School opened on 9 August 1953. It closed on 31 December 1955. The railway service from Atherton to Ravenshoe closed in 1988, following the designation of the Wet Tropics of Queensland as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Ravenshoe Library opened in 1992 and had a major refurbishment in 2017. At the , the town of Ravenshoe had a population of 860. This figure refers to the immediate township area only. The locality has a population of 1,442. 2015 cafe explosion Ravenshoe became national news after a vehicle ran into a gas cylinder at the Grigg Street 'Serves You Right Cafe' on 9 June 2015. In the resulting explosion and fire 20 people were hospitalised, 8 critically injured. Two people, the manager of the cafe and an 82-year-old Silver Valley resident, later died from their burns. there were still 7 people listed as critical with burn injuries. Five of them were females aged 43, 51, 59 and 75, and three males aged 56, 59 and 69. All were treated in Brisbane, while the driver of the vehicle that caused the explosion, with a broken spine and burns, was also listed as critical and treated in Cairns. Attractions Natural attractions Ravenshoe is located close to waterfalls, crater lakes, swamps, water holes, rainforests and historical landmarks. There is also a diverse variety of plants and animals, including 12