it worked on the basis that about 7,000 people were in the town, but the enquiry found that this estimate was not supported by the 2001 census and contrasted with the 1,109 people who voted in the town at the local government elections in 2004. At the 2006 census, the population of Lightning Ridge had increased to 2,602 people. By the 2016 census the population had fallen slightly to 2,284, with a median age of 51. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 22.7% of the population. About 69.2% of people were born in Australia, with other top countries of birth being England 1.9%, Germany 1.5%, and the Philippines 1.4%. Around 79.1% of people only spoke English at home. The most common responses for religion were no religion 29.3%, Anglican 22.1%, and Catholic 18.7%. Christianity was the largest religious group reported overall (62.9%). The town was listed as one of the poorest places in the state according to the 2015 Dropping Off The Edge report. Climate Lightning Ridge has a hot semiarid climate (BSh) under the Köppen climate classification. Activities The Lightning Ridge Opal and Gem Festival takes place yearly. The town has a five-star Olympic pool, which features a diving complex, a rock climbing wall, and water theme park that operates during the summer holidays. Parts of the pool are protected by shade, and the complex has barbecue facilities. The Ella Nagy Youth Centre opened in 2000; it features a skatepark. Until 2011, Lightning Ridge hosted an annual goat race in the town's main street and a rodeo on the Easter long weekend. Goats were harnessed and driven by children, much like harness racing in equine sports. The goat races were accompanied by wheelie-bin races, and horse racing the following day. Arts Some artists have settled in and around Lightning Ridge. One of the most famous local Australian painters is John Murray, who brings the impressions of the Outback, often in a situation with man or fauna onto the canvas. Fossils Lightning Ridge is an important paleontological site, with fossils dating back to the Cretaceous period, 110 million years ago. The sandstone rock once formed the bottom of a shallow inland sea, where the remains of aquatic plants and animals were preserved. The site is especially important as a source of fossils of ancient mammals, which, at that time, were small creatures living in a world dominated by