POPULATION OF AUSTRALIA.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 January 1927, Page 2

POPULATION OF AUSTRALIA.

YEAR’S INCREASE OK 118.512

SYDNEY. Jan. 7

On September :l()th hist, the population of Australia was estimated by the Commonwealth Statistician (Mr C. H. AY i eke ns) to he 0.07(5.123 persons, of whom 3.104.821 were males, and 2.971,011 females. This represents all increase of 118.512 persons, made up of 02.023 males and 50.489 females for the twelve months. The increase was made- up of an excess ot births over deaths of 77.988 persons, and an inc reuse due to migration of 40.524. 'I he population in the various States wen-: New South Wales, 2.333.579; Victoria. 1.703.177; Queensland. 882,340; South Australia. 502.1(51 ; Western Australia, 370.947; Tasmania. 208,827; Northern Territory. 3819; Federal Capital Torditory. 5531.

The ret tuns indicate that since the census returns on April 4th, 1921, the population of the Commonwealth increased by 040,098.” Of this increase, 445.493, or 70 per cent., was made up o, r the natural increase, the balance being tine to migration. It is estimat-j ed that at the present rate of increase, the population will top the 7.090.009 mark in seven years’ time. N.S.AY. OUTPACING VICTORIA. A striking feature of the analysis of the increase of population, according to the States, is that the population of Victoria is increasing far less rapidly than that of New South AA'ales. It is hut a few decades ago that the A ictoriun population outnumbered that of this State. New South Wales’ increase represents practically halt ot the whole nf the Commonwealth’s, and that of Victoria about one-quarter. 10-day. New South Wales has 630,000 more people than Victoria. Striking comparisons can be made from the figures. The population of Greater Sydney to-day is well over 1.000.000, or more than the number of people- in tin- vast territories of South Australia. Waster ll Australia, and the Northorn Territory, or two-thirds of the whole of the continent. Greater Sydney contains nearly lmlf the population of Now South AA’ales. This State has nearly as many people as Victoria and Queensland together. There is always intense public interest in population figutes in this country, mainly because it is realised that the vast areas still unsettled are the vulnerable parts of the whole i omit ry. AA’e realise that our country will never he tu ly developed until there is at least 50.0(1*).000 itt it. and every thousand that the population creeps nearer that mark is watched with breatlilo-s inf crest, as if it were a slowly-mounting cricket score. But the saner-minded, proud as they are ot the size of Sydney, would he more pleased if some of the inhabitants of this City, containing more than onesixth of the people of the whole continent. were distributed in the lessdensely populated centres.