Warwick, Queensland

Warwick
Queensland

Town Hall
Warwick
Coordinates 28°13′0″S 152°01′0″E / 28.21667°S 152.01667°ECoordinates: 28°13′0″S 152°01′0″E / 28.21667°S 152.01667°E
Population 13,376 (2011)[1]
Established 1850
Postcode(s) 4370
Elevation 477 m (1,565 ft)
Location
LGA(s) Southern Downs Region
State electorate(s) Southern Downs
Federal Division(s) Maranoa
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
24.2 °C
76 °F		 10.8 °C
51 °F		 692.1 mm
27.2 in

Warwick /ˈwɒrɪk/[2] is a town in southeast Queensland, Australia, lying 130 kilometres (81 mi) south-west of Brisbane. It is the administrative centre of the Southern Downs local government area. At the 2011 Australian Census the town recorded a population of 13,376.[1]

The surrounding Darling Downs have fostered a strong agricultural industry for which Warwick, together with the larger city of Toowoomba, serve as convenient service centres. Warwick is situated on the Condamine River. The Cunningham Highway and the New England Highway pass through the town.

History

The Warwick Green Belt, on the banks of the Condamine River features a sculpture of Tiddalik the mythical frog that drank all of the fresh water in a renowned Aboriginal Dreamtime story.[3]

Second St. Mark's Church of England, Warwick, ca. 1872, the first (wooden) church can be seen in the background.

Patrick Leslie and his two brothers originally settled in the area as squatters, naming their run Canning Downs. In 1847 the NSW government asked Leslie to select a site on his station for a township, which was to be called 'Cannington,' although the name 'Warwick' was eventually settled on. Land sales were held in 1850, and the first allotment was bought by Leslie.[4] The telegraph to Brisbane was operating by 1861. The 1870s were boom years for this new town. In 1871 the railway reached Warwick,[5] a brewery was built in 1873, then a cooperative flour mill and brickworks were completed during 1874.

Warwick was the seat of a series of local government areas, the Borough of Warwick from 1861, Town of Warwick from 1903, City of Warwick from 1936, Shire of Warwick from 1994, and Southern Downs Region from 2008.

An event officially known as the Warwick Incident[6] occurred on 29 November 1917, which would lead to the formation of the Australian Commonwealth Police with the first commissioner for Commonwealth Police appointed eight days later. As Prime Minister William Morris Hughes was addressing a crowd at the Warwick railway station, a man in the crowd threw an egg dislodging the Prime Minister's hat. Hughes ordered his arrest but the Queensland State Police allegedly refused to carry out the order.

Monuments

A statue of the 12th Queensland Premier Thomas Joseph Byrnes is located on the corner of Palmerin and Grafton Streets.[7]

Warwick War Memorial, 1920s
Warwick War Memorial, 2008

The war memorial in Warwick was built in 1923 and the memorial gates were built in 1924.[8]

Climate

Climate data for Warwick, Queensland
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 40.9
(105.6)		 38.5
(101.3)		 37.2
(99)		 33.3
(91.9)		 29.7
(85.5)		 26.3
(79.3)		 26.0
(78.8)		 33.0
(91.4)		 35.1
(95.2)		 37.1
(98.8)		 38.0
(100.4)		 40.4
(104.7)		 40.9
(105.6)
Average high °C (°F) 30.1
(86.2)		 29.3
(84.7)		 27.5
(81.5)		 24.9
(76.8)		 21.0
(69.8)		 18.3
(64.9)		 17.9
(64.2)		 20.0
(68)		 23.6
(74.5)		 25.8
(78.4)		 27.6
(81.7)		 29.1
(84.4)		 24.6
(76.3)
Average low °C (°F) 17.0
(62.6)		 17.0
(62.6)		 14.9
(58.8)		 11.3
(52.3)		 6.7
(44.1)		 4.8
(40.6)		 3.1
(37.6)		 3.1
(37.6)		 7.1
(44.8)		 10.4
(50.7)		 13.7
(56.7)		 15.8
(60.4)		 10.4
(50.7)
Record low °C (°F) 9.6
(49.3)		 7.9
(46.2)		 2.9
(37.2)		 −1.8
(28.8)		 −4.7
(23.5)		 −7.0
(19.4)		 −7.7
(18.1)		 −6.3
(20.7)		 −3.8
(25.2)		 0.9
(33.6)		 1.9
(35.4)		 6.5
(43.7)		 −7.7
(18.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 82.7
(3.256)		 64.7
(2.547)		 62.6
(2.465)		 31.5
(1.24)		 40.5
(1.594)		 36.8
(1.449)		 27.2
(1.071)		 23.2
(0.913)		 36.0
(1.417)		 73.9
(2.909)		 90.2
(3.551)		 101.9
(4.012)		 670.4
(26.394)
Avg. precipitation days 8.8 8.8 8.6 7.3 7.9 9.2 7.7 5.7 6.6 8.3 10.0 10.5 99.5
Average relative humidity (%) 47 50 47 46 47 50 44 38 36 38 44 43 44.2
Mean monthly sunshine hours 241.8 193.2 220.1 234 217 183 223.2 241.8 252 235.6 225 241.8 2,708.5
Source: Bureau of Meteorology[9]

Newspapers

Newspapers in Warwick include the Warwick Daily News, the Warwick and Southern Downs Weekly and the Southern Free Times.

Former newspapers include:

Notable people

Notable people with a connection to Warwick include:

Events

See also


References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Warwick (Urban Centre)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  2. ↑ Macquarie Dictionary, Fourth Edition (2005). Melbourne, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd. ISBN 1-876429-14-3
  3. ↑ "Other Attractions". Southern Downs Regional Council.
  4. ↑ "Warwick Historical Information". www.smh.com.au. 15 August 2007. Retrieved 2006-12-14.
  5. ↑ The Centenary of the Southern Line Kerr, J.D. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, December, 1970 pp261-291
  6. ↑ Warwick Incident, published 7 January 2007 (accessed 7 January 2007)
  7. ↑ Gibson, Lisanne; Joanna Besley (2004). Monumental Queensland: Signposts on a Cultural Landscape. University of Queensland Press. p. 26. ISBN 0702234656. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  8. ↑ "Warwick War Memorial". Queensland War Memorial Register. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  9. ↑ "Climate Statistics for Warwick, Queensland". Retrieved April 14, 2014.

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Warwick, Queensland.