GREATER WELLINGTON

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 206, 26 May 1921, Page 6

GREATER WELLINGTON

*THE GROWTH OF POPULATION OFFICIAL ESTIMATE GREATLY EXCEEDED The population of the Wellington metropolitan area, as recorded at the reiceiit census, has not yet been determined. The four metropolitan areas of the Dominion do not conform to local bounxfaries. They add portions of the neigh- ’ touring country districts to the cities end adjacent boroughs, and the Census and Statistics Office will not be able to state the populations of these areas until the general count of the population has been completed. The figures that have been published already, however, ere sufficient to indicate that the increase in the population of the Wellingt'tan metropolitan area has been substantial. The following returns have been dgfren Wellington City 90,099 Petone Borough 7,987 Lower Hutt Borough 5,723 Eastbourne Borough 1,411 Johnsonville Town District ■ 1,011 106,223 The metropolitan area includes also por■tions of Hutt and Makara. Counties. Hutt County has a population of 6658, 'and Makara County a population of 3141. The proportion of these totals to be added to the city and suburban total is Hot yet determined, but it seems safe 'to assume that the population of the Wellington metropolitan area will prove to be in the neighbourhood of 110,009. The official estimate at tho end of last / lyear was 100,898. The estimates for tho other centres Sat the earns time were es follow: — Auckland metropolitan area 144,646 Christchurch metropolitan area 101,747 Dunedin metropolitan area 72,048 • It appears that in Wellington, at any . liate, the growth of population in recent (■.years has been much more rapid than ’the estimates! indicated. ’ Wellington is handicapped, in the preparation of comparative figures, by tho 'configuration of the country surrounding .Port Nicholson. The steep and unpro'ductive hills around the city prevent the ■metropolitan area including much rural ‘population. Auckland at the beginning of last year was credited with 16,196 (People who lived outside the city, and ,'Tta adjacent boroughs and town districts, while the Christchurch metropolitan area ' included 19,027 such people. Wellington. ; however, was credited with only '2212 '■(people living outside the city and the ( four suburban districts enumerated 'wbove.