SMALL BOROUGHS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22051, 6 September 1933, Page 8

SMALL BOROUGHS

SOUTH ISLAND AREAS •DOMINION STATISTICS No fewer than 17 South Islanl boroughs have a population of fewer than 1000, according to an interesting table in the statistical report on populatiou for 1932-33 released by the Census and Statistics Office, Wellington. Most of these small boroughs are in Central Otago. and it is noteworthy that only one with a population of fewer than 1000 exists in the North Island, namely, Eketahuna, which has a population of 750. The tiniest municipality in New Zealand is Naseby, in Central Otago, a gold mining centre, which has a population of 210, but 13 South Island boroughs have even smaller populations than Eketahuna's modest total. Hampden exceeds Naseby's score by only 30 souls, while Arrowtown still wants 20 more citizens to reach 300. The list of South Island boroughs with fewer than 1000 inhabitants is as follows:—Brunner, 730; Kumara, 430; Ross, 430; Akaroa, 590; Hampden, 240; Palmerston, 810; Waikouaiti, 600; Tapanui, 300; Lawrence, 640; Roxburgh, 430; Naseby, 210; Alexandra, 680; Cromwell, 620; Arrowtown, 280; Queenstown, 890; Winton, 910; Riverton, 930. . There are 69 boroughs in the North Island and 53 in the South Island. In the North Island the largest collection of small boroughs is in Wairarapa. Apart from Eketahuna there are several other municipalities with only slightly larger populations. These, in ascending order, are:—Martinborough, 1040; Greytown, 1080; Peatherston, 1120. The most densely populated borough in New Zealand is Newmarket, which is a small " island" district in the Auckland city area. In this borough there are 18.5 persons to the acre, the total population at April 1, 1933, being estimated at 3240. POPULATION DENSITIES. Closely approximating to Newmarket in point of population density is St; Kilda, Dunedin, where there are 18.1 persons to the acre, the population of the district "being 8350. The Dominion's city population density is in strong contrast with these figures, the estimates nt April 1 last being as follows:—Auckland, 5.9 persona to the acre; Wanganui, 4.3; Wellington, 7.0; Palmerston North, 4.5; Nelson, 2.2; Christchurch, 8.8; Dunedin, 4.6; Invercargill, 3.7. There are 15 town districts in the South Island, and only one has a population exceeding 1000, namely, Cobden, near Greymouth, which has 1260 inhabitants. The smallest town district population in the South Island, 240, is claimed by Havelock, Marlborough. In the North Island there are 13 town districts with a population of more than 1000, the largest being Ellerslie, near Auckland, with 2810. No independent town district in the South Island is so small in point of population numbers as some of the boroughs. Pleasant Point, near Timaru, having the smallest population, 580. Auckland far outstrips other urban areas in population. In that city and its adjacent boroughs, the population totalled 219,800 at April 1 last. Figures for other urban areas were as follows: Wellington, 145,900; Christchurch, 130,100; Dunedin, 87,900; Hamilton, 18,300; Gisborne, 16,500; Napier, 19,450; Hastings, 17,000; New Plymouth, 13,750; Wanganui, 27,750;; Palmerston North, 23,500; Nelson, 12,850; Timaru, 13,750; Invercargill, 24,500. VERY SMALL INCREASE. According to the report, if the war years be disregarded as entirely abnormal in* their effect on population movements, the increase in population, other than Maori, for the year 1932-33 was the lowest since 1890-91, and the rate of increase tlio lowest ever experienced: The calendar year 1932 had the lowest numerical increase since 1891 and, with the exception of 1888, the lowest ratio of increase ever recorded. > During the year ended March 31, 1933, the population of New Zealand increased by 12,331, or by 0.81 per cent, of the population at the beginning of the period. Population other than Maori increased by 10,666, with an increase ratio of 0.73 per cent., and Maori population by 1665, or 2.40 per cent. For the calendar year 1932 population increases were 11,821 (inclusive of Maoris), and 10,233 (exclusive of Maoris). The percentage increases were 0.78 and 0.71 respectively. DOMINION TOTALS. The population of New Zealand at April 1 last was 1,536,964, inclusive of Maoris. Taking the Dominion's dependencies and mandated territory, the total population was 1,600,391. Following the census of 1926, the population was stated to be 1,344,469. Provincial populations are as follows:—Auckland, 521,482; Hawke's Bay, 76,300; Taranaki, 77,400; Wellington, 316,000; total North Island, 991,182; Marlborough, 19,300; Nelson, 54,200; Westland/16,600; Canterbury, 230,882; Otago, 155,300; Southland, 09,500; total South Island, 545,782.