A re-examination of historical population data for URBAN CENTRES in New Zealand
By Hugh Dickey, C/- Box 8774, Auckland 1150 Using Electoral Rolls to estimate city populations 1867 Auckland City East 3,251 Plus parts of – Auckland City West 7,318 Parnell 3,226 Northern Division Newton 3,227 1,781 Franklin Onehunga 2,168 3,549 Pensioner Settlements 1,541 Raglan 2,648 Shipboard at port 534 TOTAL 7,978 TOTAL 21,265
1867 Combined Auckland Total = 29,243 1867 Census Auckland = 11,103 Ashburton 1886 - Borough 1,946 Tinwald, Hampstead, Allenton 1,769 1916 - Borough 3,280 Tinwald, Hampstead, Allenton 2,900
Timaru 1896 - Borough 3,613 Suburbs 3,919
Hamilton 1896 - Borough 1,248 Outside 888 1911 - Borough 3,542 Outside 2,958 % difference between Population in Current Boundaries compared to
120 Boundaries at the Time
100
80
60
40
20
0 1871 1874 1878 1881 1886 1891 1896 1901 1906 1911 1916 1921 1926 1936 1945 1951 Auckland Wellington Christchurch Dunedin % difference between Population in Current Boundaries compared to Boundaries at the Time 120
100
80
60
40
20
0 1871 1874 1878 1881 1886 1891 1896 1901 1906 1911 1916 1921 1926 Auckland Wellington Christchurch Dunedin Hamilton Christchurch Two Measures of Population 120000
100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
0 1871 1874 1878 1881 1886 1891 1896 1901 1906 1911 1916 1921 Boundaries at Time Current Boundaries Rank of Main Towns 1851-1916 7
16
52
43
34
25
16
0 1851 1854 1858 1861 1864 1867 1871 1874 1878 1881 1886 1891 1896 1901 1906 1911 1916 Auckland Wellington Christchurch Dunedin Nelson 4 Main Centres 1878-1996 Size per 1000 NZ Population 300
250
200
150
100
50
0
1896 1878 1881 1886 1891 1901 1906 1911 1916 1921 1926 1931 1936 1941 1945 1951 1956 1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 Auckland Wellington Christchurch Dunedin % Urban Population by two criteria 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10
0
1916 1945 1874 1878 1881 1886 1891 1896 1901 1906 1911 1921 1926 1931 1936 1941 1951 1956 1961 Stats NZ New Definition 50% % Urban Population in N.Z., Australia, Canada (Towns 1000+) 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
New Zealand Australia 50% Canada % Urban in N.Z & United States (Towns 2500+) 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
New Zealand United States 50% Alternative definitions of ‘urban’ in a N.Z. context
From population based (1000+)
To employment based (proposal - 350+)
Or function based (being worked on)
Or combination, with minimums in each category Historical analysis by Seasons of Growth Each season of 50 years duration
Early period – Before 1911 Middle period – 1911 to 1961 Later period – 1961 to 2013 34 Towns KEY Auckland
After Before 1961 1911
1911-1961
Dunedin Wellington Tauranga Greymouth Invercargill Queenstown
Oamaru Te Awamutu Hamilton 1 Queenstown 1994 11 Whakatane 1960 25 Gisborne 1939 2 Tauranga 1985 12 Blenheim 1959 26 Masterton 1933 3 Rangiora 1981 13 Hastings 1958 27 Invercargill 1930 4 Pukekohe 1980 14 Levin 1958 28 Hawera 1917 5 Cambridge 1979 15 Napier 1957 29 Timaru 1916 6 Auckland 1971 16 Nelson 1956 30 Wanganui 1915 7 Taupo 1968 17 Tokoroa 1956 31 Gore 1911 8 Hamilton 1967 18 Palmerston N. 1955 32 Dunedin 1894 9 Rotorua 1963 19 Feilding 1955 33 Greymouth 1887 10 Whangarei 1963 20 Te Awamutu 1952 34 Oamaru 1880 21 New Plymouth 1952 35 Thames 1868 22 Christchurch 1951 23 Wellington 1949 24 Ashburton 1946