AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1648, 15 January 1913, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE.

'■'■" "-♦—— , FAMILIES AND,RELIGION. •''■". ' Some interesting facts ,are contained in a return issued by the Commonwealth statistician (Mr. Gl H. Knibbs) recently respecting husbands, and wives and their families in . Australia. Tho youngest married pair aro n husband of 16 years and ,a wife of 15 years, but the return also re- , veals a husband of 15 years having a wife of 20 years, and one wife under 11 years. Her husbaud is entered as absent. Thoro dre 18 wives of.. 14 years of age, and 92 wives 15 years of age., From theso ages husbands and wives are shown to 100 years and upwards. The youngest father is sot down as 15 years, but,five girls of li years aro shown to have been mothers, ahd two women have had 12 cluildreji before reaching 30 years. Mr. Knibbs did not count families of over 21, but two women, from 40 to 44 years, had families of 21 and upwards, and 49 women altogether hold this distinction. Interesting figures are also given in regard to the relative religions of husbands ond; wives. Of 1-12,98!) Roman Catholic wives it is shown that 19,351 aro married to men belonging- lo the Church of England, 1521 to Methodists, 43G9 to Presbyleriaiis-, 277 .to C'oiigregntionalisls, 27G to Baptists. 50 to members of the Church of Christ, 2(i lo members of the .Salvation Army, (H9 lo Lutherans 9 lo Seventh Day Adventists, and. 17 to members of the Unitarian Church. The Church of England'has supplied 12.GSS wives In Daman Catholics, t<> Presbyterians 2133, (o Methodists 12S0, to Baptists 220, and lo Congregationalisms 159.' No fewer than 459 Church of. England, women nro married to Hebrews and 193 Hebrew women ha™ married Church of England men.