Historic Warwick to celebrate 150 years

On May 25, the Warwick community will celebrate its 150th year since being proclaimed a municipality in 1861. This significant local and Queensland milestone, comes hot on the heels of Queensland’s 150th birthday celebrations in 2009, which engendered immense participation and pride within Queensland communities.
The first white man known to have explored the region was botanist Alan Cunningham in 1827. But for centuries before his arrival Aboriginal people occupied the area, hunting for meat and gathering fruits and seeds. Since 1840 when the Leslie brothers first arrived, Europeans have settled in this beautiful region, the site of Queensland’s first free settlement outside of Brisbane. In 1840 at the age of 25, Patrick Leslie, with no map and one convict companion, rode more than 200 miles beyond the furthest limits of settlement in New South Wales, in search of the pastoral paradise verbally described to him by Cunningham, to settle on what is now known as the Southern Downs.
The Southern Downs Regional Council, in partnership with local community groups, will gather residents and visitors to celebrate Warwick’s people, places and stories of the past 150 years at a week-long festival from May 22 to 29.
Celebrations will focus on Warwick’s history as a region of firsts. Standing the test of time and major flooding, Warwick’s National School, the oldest school building in Queensland, was established by the Board of National Education in October 1850. Warwick is also home to the first reticulated water supply, the oldest rodeo in Australia, and the oldest continuing brass band in Australia.
Many well known identities were born here including current Queensland Premier Anna Bligh. Gun shearer Jackie Howe, who gave his name to the cotton singlet worn by most Australian males, was born at Canning Downs Station. He became famous in 1892 for shearing more sheep in a day by blade, than any other person. On October 10, 1892, at Alice Downs Station in Queensland, he shore 321 sheep in seven hours, 40 minutes using blades – ‘a pair of glorified scissors’, as machine shearers called them. Also born on Canning Downs was Charles Chauvel, the founder of cinematography in Australia.
The celebratory program includes events of an artistic, cultural and community nature – concerts, art exhibitions, museum open days, historical tours, steam train festivities, a re-enactment of the first Council meeting on May 25, 1861, Indigenous storytelling, and street parades.
Source: www.warwick150.com