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

Auckland City East 3,251Auckland City West 7,318Parnell 3,226Newton 3,227Onehunga 2,168Pensioner Settlements 1,541Shipboard at port 534TOTAL 21,265

Plus parts of –

Northern Division1,781 Franklin

3,549Raglan 2,648TOTAL 7,978

1867 Combined Auckland Total = 29,243

1867 Census Auckland = 11,103

1867

Ashburton 1886 - Borough 1,946Tinwald, Hampstead, Allenton 1,769

1916 - Borough 3,280Tinwald, Hampstead, Allenton 2,900

Timaru 1896 - Borough 3,613Suburbs 3,919

Hamilton 1896 - Borough 1,248Outside 888

1911 - Borough 3,542Outside 2,958

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1871 1874 1878 1881 1886 1891 1896 1901 1906 1911 1916 1921 1926 1936 1945 1951

% difference between Population in Current Boundaries compared to

Boundaries at the Time

Auckland Wellington Christchurch Dunedin

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1871 1874 1878 1881 1886 1891 1896 1901 1906 1911 1916 1921 1926

% difference between Population in Current Boundaries compared to

Boundaries at the Time

Auckland Wellington Christchurch Dunedin Hamilton

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

1871 1874 1878 1881 1886 1891 1896 1901 1906 1911 1916 1921

ChristchurchTwo Measures of Population

Boundaries at Time Current Boundaries

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1851 1854 1858 1861 1864 1867 1871 1874 1878 1881 1886 1891 1896 1901 1906 1911 1916

Rank of Main Towns 1851-1916

Auckland Wellington Christchurch Dunedin Nelson

2

3

4

5

6

1

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

18

78

18

81

18

86

18

91

18

96

19

01

19

06

19

11

19

16

19

21

19

26

19

31

19

36

19

41

19

45

19

51

19

56

19

61

19

66

19

71

19

76

19

81

19

86

19

91

19

96

4 Main Centres 1878-1996Size per 1000 NZ Population

Auckland Wellington Christchurch Dunedin

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

18

74

18

78

18

81

18

86

18

91

18

96

19

01

19

06

19

11

19

16

19

21

19

26

19

31

19

36

19

41

19

45

19

51

19

56

19

61

% Urban Population by two criteria

Stats NZ New Definition 50%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

% Urban Population in N.Z., Australia, Canada (Towns 1000+)

New Zealand Australia 50% Canada

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

% Urban in N.Z & United States (Towns 2500+)

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

Early period – Before 1911

Middle period – 1911 to 1961

Later period – 1961 to 2013

Each season of 50 years duration

KEY

Before1911

After1961

1911-1961

34 Towns

Dunedin

Auckland

Wellington Tauranga

Greymouth

Oamaru

Invercargill

Te Awamutu

Queenstown

Hamilton

1 Queenstown 19942 Tauranga 19853 Rangiora 19814 Pukekohe 19805 Cambridge 19796 Auckland 19717 Taupo 1968 8 Hamilton 19679 Rotorua 196310 Whangarei 1963

11 Whakatane 196012 Blenheim 195913 Hastings 195814 Levin 195815 Napier 195716 Nelson 195617 Tokoroa 195618 Palmerston N. 195519 Feilding 195520 Te Awamutu 195221 New Plymouth 195222 Christchurch 195123 Wellington 194924 Ashburton 1946

25 Gisborne 193926 Masterton 193327 Invercargill 193028 Hawera 191729 Timaru 191630 Wanganui 191531 Gore 191132 Dunedin 189433 Greymouth 188734 Oamaru 188035 Thames 1868