CITY VERSUS COUNTRY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1154, 15 June 1911, Page 5

CITY VERSUS COUNTRY.

Ai . ■ AUSTRALIAN CAPITALS GROWING. By TekeriDh—Press Association— Ocnyritrhl Sydney, June XL The census returns show that tho popuation of the capital cities, especially Melbourne, has increased at a far greater rate than the population of the country districts. COUNTRY POPULATION DWINDLING. (Rcc. June 15, 0.20 a.m.) Sydney, June 14. Tho census figures disclose that while thero has been a heavy growth of population round the metropolis, tbero has boon a big shrinkage in tho country, especially in the ''out-bock" districts. OVERGROWN CITIES. A fpaturo of tho distribution of population in Australia is the tendency to accumulate in the capital cities. To such an extent is this metropolitan aggregation carried, that in every State the population of Jhe capital far outnumbers that of any other toivn therein, and, according to the "Commonwealth Year Book," ranges between 20 and U per cent, of the entire population of tho State. The estimated populationsiff the several capitals on December 31, 190 D, and tho percentages of such populations on tho totals for the respe'etivo States are shown in the table hereunder. That this metropolitan concentration is phenomenal may be readily seen by comparing tho porcentage on the total population with tho similar figures for the principal countries of Europe, also given in tho table- hereunder. Percentage oh total of Statoor Metropolis Year. Popula. Country Sydney 1909 605,900 37.36 Melbourne 1909 502,300 43.14 Brisbane 1909 143,077 24,83 Adelaide 1909 184,393 44.32 Perth 1909 54,354 19.87 Hobart 1909 38,916 20.83 (6 Cities) 1909 1,888,940 36.33 Wellington 1909 71,553 7.28 In connection with the particulars showing the tendency in Australia to concentrate population in the metropolis it should be borne in mind in most of tho European States the capital is but ono of many populous cities, and in some instances is by no means tho most populous. In Australia, on tho other hand, the metropolis is in every instance the most populous city, and, in some of tho States, is also the only town of considerable magnitude. Thero are in all, only eighteen towns in tho Commonwealth having a population upwards of 20,000. Of theso three are in New South Wales, four in Victoria, five in Queensland, one in Sonth Australia, three in Western Australia, and two in Tasmania.