THE FIRST MILLION

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 December 1928, Page 9

THE FIRST MILLION

A,rFiLBOURNE to-day has a population x L of at least 1,000,000 persons, according to the calculations of the Government Statist. The estimate is based upon the annual increase of approximately 00,000, which has been shown in the last few years. The statist anticipated that a million would be reached at the end of October. The official census covers all persons living within a radius of 10 miles from Elizabeth Street post office. The suburban area prescribed by the Victorian Railway commissioners has a radius of 20 miles from the post office, and at the end of last year the population within that area was 1,033,885. The boundaries of Greater Melbourne, however, are very irregular, and the first official recognition that there are now more than 1,000,000 in the smaller radius is likely to be an adjustment of the boundary line next year. This will bring several suburbs into the metropolitan area, and the population will be increased by at least 15,000.

There is all the glamour of romantic achievement in the survey of Melbourne’s astonishing progress, says the Argus. The story of Melbourne, from the primitive hubs and rough tracks of the pioneers to the lofty structures, beautiful streets, and splendid suburbs of to-dav, is comparatively short, as the lives of cities go. Probably because Australia is a young country the young generation is apt to overlook the fact that most of the great cities among which Melbourne is grouped were old <"'ties when there was no trace (o.r even thought - ) of settlement upon the banks of the Yarra.

Melbourne actually besran on Tuesday. September 1. 1835. 'when _ a party from the schooner Enterprise, which had been brought -up the Yarra in charge of John Lancey. formed their camp and erected the first huildipo- cn the site of Melbourne. 'When Air George Stewart, the police magistrate sent by the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Rtichard Bourke. from Sydney to report on the new venture, arrived in Mav, 1836. there were 13 buildings, mostly turf huts, grouped together on the banks of the A: arm.

GROWTH OP MELBOURNE

On May 25. 1836, the band of first arrivals consisted 142 males and 35 females, comprising 177 residents ot. European origin. According to the \ ietorian Year Book this was the first, official census of what was then known as Port Phillip. Two and a. half years later the population had growTi to 3511. At the end of 1840 it was estimated that there were 10,201 per soils in the Port Phillip district. During each ol the years 1840 and 1841 the population was doubled, owing principally to the number of assisted immigrants who arrived. By the end of ISSO the population was 76,162. . The discovery of gold in 1851 m whie-i year also separation from New South Wales was achieved —was the greatest factor in populating Victoria. The discoveries drew thousands of goldseekers from New South Wales. South Australia and Tasmania, and later the numbers wore swelled bv the rush from overseas. !ho gold discovery changed the whole outlook for Melbourne. The old Port Phillip phase ended and the calm toral life was changed. At the end of 1857 the population of Victoria numbered 463.135, or more than six times that of 1850. , . . There lias always, been modest rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney in regat'd to population. The methods ot j calculation are different and for this, reason it is almost impossible to make a j fair comparison. Sydney proper, however, has the larger population, although at one time there were more people in Melbourne. Even to-day one reference book in London states that Melbourne is “the most populous city in Australia,” hut partly atones tor this grave mis-statement by mentioning that. Sydney is “the principal seaport of Australia.” , The first population returns showing that Sydney had reached a million were furnished at the end of 19-4. when the population was given as I.OuO.oUU. Sydney authorities state that the population is not based on a radius of iu miles as is done in Melbourne, but is calculated on the old city boundaries, which include several populous suburbs. According to a leading British year book Svdney ranks 16tli and Melbourne 25th in a list of the 60 largest cities in the world.