EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27346, 23 March 1950, Page 6

EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

FROM THE FILES OF THE ; ©tago ©ail? ©imes DUNEDIN. MARCH 23. 1865. '' Today is the seventeenth anniversary of the Settlement of Otago. The following are comparative census figures for New Zealand taken in 1861 and 1864 respectively, the figures for 1861 being given first: —Otago, 27,241, 48,998; Wellington, 12,566, 14,938; Canterbury, 16,040, 32,258; Southland, 1825, 8075; Auckland, 24,420, 37,008; . Marlborough, 2299, 5349; Hawke’s Bay, 2611, 4107. The above figures do not include military settlers and their . families, of whom there were in 1864, 5125.

The attendance at the New Zealand Exhibition during the week ended last Saturday was as follows:—Monday, 302 adults, 37 children, 30 season tickets; Tuesday, 300 adults, 50 children, 31 season tickets; Wednesday, 74 adults, 3 children, 15 season tickets; Thursday, 219 adults, 36 children, 15 season tickets; Friday, 222 adults. 32 children, 36 season tickets; Saturday, 333 adults, 48 children, 65 season tickets —showing a total number of admissions for the week of 1848.

The quantity of gold exported from the Province of Otago during the cur- , rent year to this date is 62,0160 z 6dwt. ■ The quantity previously exported is as follows:—1861, 187,6950 z; 1862, 397,6020 z; 1863, 580,2330 z; 1864, 455,9270z;—t0ta1, 1,621,457; making a grand total)since the discovery of the Otago goldfields of 1,705,7740 z 6dwt. The Escorts have brought down the following quantities of gold during ■ the year:—January 14, 10,9520 z 15dwt; January 28, 10,0560 z 3dwt: February 11 10,715 oz; February 25, 11,3090 z lodwt; March 10, 12,6790 z lldwt;— total, 55,7130 z 4dwt.