WARWICK

city, southeastern Queensland, Australia, on the Condamine River, in the southern Darling Downs. It became associated with sheep breeding in 1840 when Patrick Leslie, the area's first settler, who later played a prominent role in the movement for separating Queensland from New South Wales, moved his flock from New South Wales. Dairying and wheat farming are now the main economic factors. Irrigation is provided by Leslie Dam on nearby Sandy Creek. Named after Warwick, Eng., it was proclaimed a town in 1861 and a city in 1936. Pop. (1981) 8,853. district in the central part of the administrative and historic county of Warwickshire, England. It lies on the southern fringe of the Midlands industrial region, just south of the industrial city of Coventry, while its southern boundary adjoins the rural district of Stratford-on-Avon. Two towns in the district, Warwick and Kenilworth, grew up around castles. Royal Leamington Spa, chartered in 1875, still functions as a watering place with both recreational and health facilities. Both Warwick town and Leamington Spa have some light industries, reflecting their proximity to the manufacturing cities of the West Midlands. Area 109 sq mi (283 sq km). Pop. (1998 est.) 123,800. city, Kent county, east-central Rhode Island, U.S., on the western shore of Narragansett Bay; it is basically a southern residential suburb of Providence comprising a group of about 20 scattered villages united administratively. The first European settlement on the site was made at Shawomet (1642) by Samuel Gorton. Later the colony was named for Robert Rich, 2nd earl of Warwick, who supported Gorton's quest to gain protection of a royal charter against the Massachusetts Bay colony. Town (township) government was organized in 1647. After the widespread destruction caused by King Philip's (Indian) War (1675-76), the township was rebuilt, and gristmills and fulling mills were established along the Pawtuxet River. Warwick has some light industry, including the manufacture of jewelry, metals, machinery, and electronics, and tourism is important. The New England Institute of Technology was founded in 1940 in Warwick; the Knight campus of the Community College of Rhode Island (opened 1972) also is located there. An annual event is the Gaspee Days celebration, recalling the offshore burning of the British revenue schooner Gaspee in 1772 by Rhode Island patriots. The Warwick Musical Theater features performances in an outdoor arena during the summer. The largest commercial airport in Rhode Island, the T.F. Green Airport, is located in Warwick. Inc. city, 1931. Pop. (1990) city, 85,427; Providence-Fall River-Warwick MSA, 1,134,350; (1996 est.) city, 84,514; Providence-Fall River-Warwick MSA, 1,124,044. town ("parish"), Warwick district, administrative and historic county of Warwickshire, England, best known for its historic castle. Warwick originated at a crossing place on the River Avon and was fortified about 915. By 1086 "Warwic" was a royal borough with 225 houses, and William I ordered the castle to be enlarged. The present castle structure dates mainly from the 14th and 15th centuries and was the work of the Beauchamp family. In 1604 Fulke Greville took possession and converted the castle from a fortress into a dwelling. With its great size, its virtually intact structure, and its fine collections of paintings and armour, Warwick Castle has become a major tourist attraction of the English Midlands. The town developed around the castle. Only fragments of the medieval walls remain, but these include the east and west gates. Other buildings of note are Lord Leycester Hospital (14th-15th centuries) and Market Hall (1670). Much of the town was rebuilt after a fire in 1694. Today Warwick is an administrative centre and a market town with some light industry. Pop. (1991) 22,476.