SIZES OF TOWNS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21782, 23 April 1934, Page 5

SIZES OF TOWNS

AUSTRALIA AND DOMINION STRANGE POPULATION GAPS The observation that Australian towns show the same tendency as New Zealand towns to eschew certain sizes is made in the April number of. the Auckland Chamber of Commerce journal in an article surveying some of the results of the "recent Australian census. • \ New Zealand has several towns with' about 8000 of population, including, suburbs (Whangarei, Masterton, Oamaru and Greymouth), the article states, and then only one city (Nelson, 12,850) until 16,000 is reached, when we find an aggregation of sis urban areas with up to 19,500 inhabitants (Gisborne, Hastings, Hamilton, Timaru, New Plymouth, and Napier); and a further aggregation of three urban areas from 23,500 to 27,650 (Palmerston North, Invercargill, and Wanganui); after which no urban area occurs over a range of 60,000 until we reach Dunedin with 87,900 (or over three times Wanganui's population), Christdrurch tvith 130,000, Wellington with 145,900, and Auckland with 219,800. In Australia we find a strange avoidance of towns of certain sizes. There are none between 15,000 and 22,500; there are then no fewer than seven before 30.000 is readied-—lpswich (Q.), Townsville (Q.), Toowoomba (Q.), Broken Hill (N.S.W.), Launcestoa (T.), Rockhampton (Q.), and Bendigo (V.); there are then none until 37,500 is reached, where we find Ballarat and Geelong each with under 40,000. Then (as in New Zealand) there is a huge gap filled only by Hobart (T.) with 60,000, and Newcastle (N.S.W.), with 105,000, until Perth (W.A.) is reached at 205.0Q0, Brisbane (Q.) at 300,000, and Adelaide (S.A.) at 313,000. lii the whole of Australia and New Zealand there are only two cities (Dunedin and Hobart) with populations between 40,000 and 105,000. Eight at the top of the scale after another long gap lie Melbourne (992,000) and Sydney (1,235,000).