Hillston, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Hillston is a township in western New South Wales
, Australia
, in Carrathool Shire
, built on the banks of the Lachlan River
. It was founded in 1863 and at the 2006 census
had a population of 1,054.
and his exploration party were the first Europe
an visitors to the Hillston district, in 1817. Oxley wrote in his journal: "country uninhabitable and useless for all purposes of civilised man".
In 1839 William Hovell
followed the Lachlan River to near the site of present-day Hillston and took up a pastoral holding called “Bellingerambil” (later named “Cowl Cowl”).
The site of Hillston was originally on land owned by John McGee, who obtained a sub-division and sold lots by public auction
, “the lots realizing high prices”. The Government also surveyed a township just north of McGee’s land. Sixty-four lots at Hillston North were also auctioned, bringing “up to £100 per acre”. Thus two townships developed side-by-side.
Hillston developed as a service centre to the surrounding pastoral holdings, so the pace of development of the township was closely linked to prevailing conditions as they affected the district pastoral enterprises. Due in large measure to drought conditions in the district there was little or no progress of the township during the mid-1860s. However more favourable seasons by the end of the decade, with the return of more reliable rainfall, led to a revitalization of Hillston’s prospects.
The first Police Court at Hillston was held on 28 August 1873 in a room at one of the hotels in the town.
The first church at Hillston was of the Anglican denomination. A Roman Catholic church was built during the 1880s. The first Pastoral and Agricultural Show was held at Hillston in 1881. A hospital was erected in the township in 1882; the cost of the building was raised by voluntary subscription. A new post-office was completed in 1883 (in the charge of Mr. W. S. Bellamy). A courthouse at Hillston was completed in about 1883.
Hillston became a municipality in 1888.
The store that became known as Nall, Jackson & Co. Ltd. was established in 1889; the firm had changed its name on various occasions, being known as "Villa and Rossi", "Villa, Rossi and Nall", "J. T. Jackson", and "Nall, Jackson & Co." Nall, Jackson & Co., which later opened branches at Merriwagga and Goolgowi, became a mainstay of the Hillston and district community.
A Presbyterian Church was built at Hillston in 1890.
A Magistrate was resident at Hillston until 1916, after which the Hay magistrate visited once a month.
Following the First World War
, the Hillston area was divided into relatively small rural properties onto which returning soldiers were repatriated under the New South Wales soldier settlement scheme
. The railway between Griffith and Hillston was completed in 1923 and large areas of Crown land along the route were made available for selection.
By the end of the 1920s, with the influx of population to the district, the prevailing optimistic mood led to progress and growth at Hillston. A lighting system was installed at Hillston in 1929. During the same year the old Club House Hotel was replaced by a two-storey building and the Royal Mail Hotel was extended. The firm of Messrs. Parker and Cordato built rows of shops in the township. In early 1931 the Hillston to Roto railway was completed.
In the wake of a land boom during the mid to late-1920s, the reality of marginal nature of the land became manifest and the soldier settlement blocks were found to be too small to be economically viable. The personal and financial hardships experienced during the inter-war decades resulted in many of these families walking off their blocks, and Hillston began to experience a decline.
The wool boom of the 1950s led to reconstruction of the town, and gave 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 2002-07, is again establishing itself.
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.
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.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, in Carrathool Shire
Carrathool Shire
Carrathool Shire is a Local Government Area in the Far West of New South Wales on the Mid-Western Highway and north of the Sturt Highway.The largest town is Hillston and the council seat is Goolgowi...
, built on the banks of the Lachlan River
Lachlan River
- Course :The river rises in the central highland of New South Wales, part of the Great Dividing Range, 13 km east of Gunning. Its major headwaters, the Carcoar River, the Belubula River and the Abercrombie River converge near the town of Cowra. Minor tributaries include the Morongla Creek...
. It was founded in 1863 and at the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
had a population of 1,054.
History
John OxleyJohn Oxley
John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley was an explorer and surveyor of Australia in the early period of English colonisation.October 1802 he was engaged in coastal survey work including an expedition to Western Port in 1804-05...
and his exploration party were the first Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an visitors to the Hillston district, in 1817. Oxley wrote in his journal: "country uninhabitable and useless for all purposes of civilised man".
In 1839 William Hovell
William Hovell
William Hilton Hovell was an English explorer of Australia.-Early life:Hovell was born in Yarmouth, Norfolk, England and went to sea as a boy, becoming a Royal Navy captain before settling in New South Wales, arriving in October 1813 aboard the Earl Spencer with his wife Esther née Arndell...
followed the Lachlan River to near the site of present-day Hillston and took up a pastoral holding called “Bellingerambil” (later named “Cowl Cowl”).
Redbank
The locality of present-day Hillston was a crossing-place for stock on the Lachlan River. The earliest European name for the place was ‘Daisy Plains’ or ‘Daisy Hill’. Later it became known as “Redbank” (following the Wiradjuri name 'Melnunni', meaning “red soil”). In 1863 a stockman named William Ward Hill from nearby “Roto” station established an inn – the Redbank Hotel – at the location. William Hill died on 10 July 1867 of “exhaustion from intemperance” and his widow, Elizabeth, took over the license of the Redbank Hotel (which she held until about 1871). In 1869, when the first post office was opened, the township was renamed Hillston, after its founding publican.The site of Hillston was originally on land owned by John McGee, who obtained a sub-division and sold lots by public auction
Public auction
A public auction is an auction held on behalf of a government in which the property to be auctioned is either property owned by the government, or property which is sold under the authority of a court of law or a government agency with similar authority....
, “the lots realizing high prices”. The Government also surveyed a township just north of McGee’s land. Sixty-four lots at Hillston North were also auctioned, bringing “up to £100 per acre”. Thus two townships developed side-by-side.
Hillston developed as a service centre to the surrounding pastoral holdings, so the pace of development of the township was closely linked to prevailing conditions as they affected the district pastoral enterprises. Due in large measure to drought conditions in the district there was little or no progress of the township during the mid-1860s. However more favourable seasons by the end of the decade, with the return of more reliable rainfall, led to a revitalization of Hillston’s prospects.
Township development
Hillston developed as a service centre to the surrounding pastoral holdings. The Moss brothers, who were successful store-owners at Hay, established a store at Hillston by 1869. Hillston Post Office opened on 1 February 1869. In mid-1871 the partnership between the brothers was dissolved and Louis Moss ran the Hillston store on his own account.The first Police Court at Hillston was held on 28 August 1873 in a room at one of the hotels in the town.
The first church at Hillston was of the Anglican denomination. A Roman Catholic church was built during the 1880s. The first Pastoral and Agricultural Show was held at Hillston in 1881. A hospital was erected in the township in 1882; the cost of the building was raised by voluntary subscription. A new post-office was completed in 1883 (in the charge of Mr. W. S. Bellamy). A courthouse at Hillston was completed in about 1883.
Hillston became a municipality in 1888.
The store that became known as Nall, Jackson & Co. Ltd. was established in 1889; the firm had changed its name on various occasions, being known as "Villa and Rossi", "Villa, Rossi and Nall", "J. T. Jackson", and "Nall, Jackson & Co." Nall, Jackson & Co., which later opened branches at Merriwagga and Goolgowi, became a mainstay of the Hillston and district community.
A Presbyterian Church was built at Hillston in 1890.
A Magistrate was resident at Hillston until 1916, after which the Hay magistrate visited once a month.
Following the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the Hillston area was divided into relatively small rural properties onto which returning soldiers were repatriated under the New South Wales soldier settlement scheme
Soldier settlement (Australia)
Soldier settlement refers to the occupation and settlement of land throughout parts of Australia by returning discharged soldiers under schemes administered by the State Governments after World Wars I and II.- World War I :...
. The railway between Griffith and Hillston was completed in 1923 and large areas of Crown land along the route were made available for selection.
By the end of the 1920s, with the influx of population to the district, the prevailing optimistic mood led to progress and growth at Hillston. A lighting system was installed at Hillston in 1929. During the same year the old Club House Hotel was replaced by a two-storey building and the Royal Mail Hotel was extended. The firm of Messrs. Parker and Cordato built rows of shops in the township. In early 1931 the Hillston to Roto railway was completed.
In the wake of a land boom during the mid to late-1920s, the reality of marginal nature of the land became manifest and the soldier settlement blocks were found to be too small to be economically viable. The personal and financial hardships experienced during the inter-war decades resulted in many of these families walking off their blocks, and Hillston began to experience a decline.
The wool boom of the 1950s led to reconstruction of the town, and gave new optimism, only to enter a decline again in the 1960s and 1970s.
Until the bitumen sealing of the Kidman Way
Kidman Way
The Kidman Way is an important highway in New South Wales , Australia, which is designated as State Highway 87. It is named after Sir Sidney Kidman, Australian cattle king and philanthropist who owned a large number of cattle stations along the path, many still owned by his descendants. It is an...
from Griffith
Griffith, New South Wales
Griffith is a city in south-western New South Wales, Australia. It is also the seat of the City of Griffith local government area. Like the Australian capital, Canberra and the nearby town of Leeton, Griffith was designed by Walter Burley Griffin. Griffith was named after Sir Arthur Griffith the...
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 2002-07, is again establishing itself.
Climate
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 degrees Celsius and the average minimum temperature in July is 3.8 degrees Celsius. The highest temperature recorded at Hillston was 46.0 °C (114.8 °F) on 1 January 2006; the lowest recorded was −4.4 °C (24.1 °F) on 11 July 1958. The average annual rainfall is 367 millimetres (14.4 in).Industry
Agriculture is the main industry in Hillston mostly oriented towards livestock, grain, cotton, citrus and vegetables, utilising irrigation from the Lachlan RiverLachlan River
- Course :The river rises in the central highland of New South Wales, part of the Great Dividing Range, 13 km east of Gunning. Its major headwaters, the Carcoar River, the Belubula River and the Abercrombie River converge near the town of Cowra. Minor tributaries include the Morongla Creek...
and underground water sources.
Because of the proximity of Hillston to the Kidman Way
Kidman Way
The Kidman Way is an important highway in New South Wales , Australia, which is designated as State Highway 87. It is named after Sir Sidney Kidman, Australian cattle king and philanthropist who owned a large number of cattle stations along the path, many still owned by his descendants. It is an...
, Lachlan Valley Way
Lachlan Valley Way
Lachlan Valley Way is a New South Wales state highway running from Booligal on the Cobb Highway to north of Yass on the Hume Freeway.-References:**...
and the Cobb Highway
Cobb Highway
The Cobb Highway is a State highway in western New South Wales, Australia. From north to south the Cobb Highway begins at its junction with the Barrier Highway near Wilcannia and runs south through the townships of Ivanhoe, Booligal, Hay and Deniliquin. It ends at Moama where the...
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
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
area.
Hillston has two schools; Hillston Central School
Hillston Central School
Hillston Central School is a NSW government public school located in Hillston, New South Wales, Australia.The local area produces citrus fruit, potatoes, cotton, wool, cattle and wheat, as well as other crops like barley and canola....
, a K-12 public school, and St Joseph's Primary School, a K-6 Catholic school.