DOMINION’S POPULATION

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 20 May 1927, Page 5

DOMINION’S POPULATION

RAPID RISE IN AUCKLAND PROVINCE. i

DETAILS OF DISTRIBUTION.

WESTLAND FALLS BACK. \

SPECIAL TO THE STAR. WELLINGTON, May 19. The rapid development of the North Island, and Auckland province in particular, is outstandingly evident in the latest report by the Government Statistician based on the 1926 census. The bulletin will furnish the principal basis for the operations’ of the Representation Commissioners, who will have to turn to their attention once more to Auckland 'district as the location of the new constituency which has been predicted. »■ «'->• Of the total increase of population in the five years between the enumerations, no- less than 44 per cent, is credited to Auckland provincial district, the rest of the North Island taking 28 per cent., and the South Island the remaining 28 per cent. “Among the provincial districts,” reports Mr. Malcolm Fraser, “the outstanding feature is the rapid growth of Auckland district. Due to the reaction of mining interests, Nelson and Westland have scarcely held their own, the latter, indeed having fewer inhabitants than in 1911. “In the North Island, exceptional progress is in evidence in the vicinity' of Auckland and Wellington, also in the counties of Matamata, Taumarunui and Taupo. Very little increase, or none at all, is apparent in the Thames district, and in certain parts of the Bay of Plenty, Poverty Bay, Hawke’s Bay, and Taranaki. The counties of Kiwitea, Pohangida and Oroua, and, to the east, those of Akitio, Eketa.huna, and Mauriceville, have all failed to hold their own. “The South Island shows less variation than in the North. Decreases appear in several counties of North Canterbury, and of Otago, also in Waimate county. A noteworthy fact. is jthat Buller and Grey counties show fairly substantial increases, although for the previous intercensal period, 1916—21, these counties suffered a decrease. DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOWNS.’ The distribution, of population in the urban areas is separately treated, and the figures show that with the exception of Gisborne and Napier, the North Island centres show considerably more progress than those in the South Aland. The very small increase in Gisborne and Napier is, says the Statistician, in marked contrast to their substantial growth in ■ the previous period. “New Plymouth again occupies first place in regard to increase being followed closely by Auckland and Hamilton. In the lastnamed, the phenomenal growth of recent years shows a steadying-down tendency. “Of the Southern centres, Dunedin is easily in the lead, due to the artificial inflation of population occasioned by the Exhibition. A curious fact is that whereas in 1921 Timaru was considerably ahead of Invercargill and Nelson as regards rate of increase, the position is now reversed, and of the three towns, Timaru now occupies third place, with Invercargill showing the largest rate of increase and Nel- * son second.” The rate of increase in principal urban areas since the previous census of 1921 is shown thus:

“THE URBAN DRIFT.” There is a regular warning in census returns regarding the tendency to drift from the country into the towns, and the 'Government) Statistician returns to this familiar theme, which he calls “the continuance of a somewhat dis- > turbing feature.” He points out that it is a condition not peculiar to New Zealand, but experienced in practically every country of the world. In a manufacturing country the tendency is perhaps more natural, but for New Zealand, which is for the greater part a primary producing country, his opinion is that the indications of strong urban drift are viewed by many with alarm. The tendency to form small boroughs somewhat offsets the worst of the figures, as much of their population is rural. 1 However, the tendency to the towns in the last; twenty years is shown by this comparison of urban and rural proportions of the total population:

Density of population is another of the many interesting features in the latest report. The average over the whole of the Dominion, with mountains and lakes tending to reduce the proportions where these occur, is 13.02 persons, per square mile. Wellington province has the greatest density of population, viz 25.31 persons per square mile. Taranaki has 18.26, Auckland 16.75, Hawke’s Bay 15.47.. - Canterbury 15.43, Otago 10.17, Southland 5.73, Nelson 4.66, Marlborough 4.34, and Westland 3.10. Separating the “natural” increase of population from the total, the report shows that in five years the North Island gained 35,000 from the South or overseas, while the South Island gained but 5,000 by immigration.

r v. Pop. Percent. Pop. Auckland . 192,223 21.85 Wellington .. 121,527 13.06 Christchurch .. 118,501 12.14 Dunedin . 85,059 17.77 Hamilton 16,538 19.86 Gisborne 14,789 2.35 Napier 18,065 5.ii Hastings .. ' 14,460 11.32 New Plymouth .. 15,931 25.99 Wanganui 26,129 11.08 Palmerston N. 19,709 16.72 Nelson 11,752 10.53 Timaru 16,822 8.48 Invercargill 21,849 13.74

Year Rural Urban 1906 57.96 42.04 1926 49.42 50.58