MELBOUBNE’S GROWTH

Southland Times, Issue 19823, 20 March 1926, Page 12

MELBOUBNE’S GROWTH

POPULATION AND VALUES. Sydney, March 12. Sydney’s population has already passed the million mark in regard to population—a fact lamented by envious Melbournites, to whom any superiority of the New South Wales capital is as bitter as gall. But in population the southern city is not far behind her rival famed for its harbour; in fact, less than 100,000 separate the two, although the difference will probably never be regained. ‘ Apart from Sydney’s present faster rate of growth, the Victorian capital will shortly lose between 20,000 and 30,000 people, when the army of Federal public servants trek to the new Australian capital, Canberra, next year. Still, Melbourne can boast of some remarkable figures concerning its growth. The municipal councils in the metropolitan area have just completed their annual statistics for 1925. These show that Greater Melbourne has a population of 926,000, and a capital value of approximately £303,000,000. These figures are for the twenty-six municipalities generally considered to comprise Melbourne, parts of four neighbouring shires, and certain seaside suburbs. Dwellings in this area number 216,000 and 21,000 shops are open for trade. Rates are imposed on land and other property to the value of £294,000,000 but there are institutions which do not pay rates, such as Government buildings, churches, and municipal properties. In the City of Melbourne itself there are 106,000 people, housed in 22,606 dwellings. The capital value of the area is £Bl,OOO. Caulfield holds pride of place as the most populous suburb with 59,645 people, but two others, Prahran arid. Brunswick, each have more than 50,000. The seven leading municipalities, with a population of over 40,000, are: Caulfield, 59,645; Prahran, 51,662; Brunswick, 50,007; South Melbourne, 47,000; Footscray, 46,409; Richmond, 41,596; Essendon, 40,000. Melbourne has just on 4000 shops to its 105,996 residents, one to every 26.5 people, or one shop to every 1.9 acres. These figures are approached by )he shopping suburbs like Prahran and Fitzroy, and the latter actually has a shop for every 9 acres. To go the other extreme, the new suburb of Mooreabbin has only one shop to every 96 acres. Over the whole area there is an average of one shop to every 42 people.