new optimism, only to enter a decline again in the 1960s and 1970s. Until the bitumen sealing of the Kidman Way from Griffith was completed in the early 1970s, the rough dirt road was an effective barrier to communications with other communities. A train service existed until the mid-1970s, but since then there has been no public transport service to Hillston. In the late 1990s, the introduction of cotton saw a boom period once again which, after a severe drought 2002–2007, is again establishing itself. In August 2021, a new high resolution doppler weather radar was opened in Hillston. It is operated by the Bureau of Meteorology providing coverage across the Riverina and western New South Wales. Heritage listings Hillston has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: Willandra National Park: Willandra Homestead Climate Hillston has a semi-arid climate with hot summers and relatively cool winters. Climate records have been kept for Hillston since 1881. Temperature extremes are quite marked over the full year: the average maximum temperature in January is 33.4 °C and the average minimum temperature in July is 3.8 °C. Snow has never been recorded in Hillston. The highest temperature ever recorded was 46.0 °C (114.8 °F) on 1 January 2006; the lowest was −6.0 °C (21.2 °F) on 15 July 2022. The average annual rainfall is . Industry Agriculture is the main industry in Hillston mostly oriented towards livestock, grain, cotton, citrus and vegetables, utilising irrigation from the Lachlan River and underground water sources. Because of the proximity of Hillston to the Kidman Way, Lachlan Valley Way and the Cobb Highway many road transport companies operate in Hillston. Amenities Town facilities include Lake Woorabinda, a man-made lake for water-skiing encircled by a scenic walking track between the river and the lake, community hall for sport and cultural events, and an art gallery in the main street. Between Lake Woorabinda and the community hall lie a 25m public swimming pool and the Lions' Park, which incorporates children's play equipment and a barbecue area. Hillston has two schools; Hillston Central School, a K-12 public school, and St Joseph's Primary School, a K-6 Catholic school. Stan Peters Oval is the local sports ground, home to the Hillston Swans Australian Rules club in the Northern Riverina Football League and the Hillston Bluebirds Rugby League club in Group 17. Hillston is the terminus of the open section of the Temora–Roto railway line.