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1867 New Zealand census

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fifth census of
the Colony of New Zealand

← 1864 19 December 1867; 156 years ago (1867-12-19) 1871 →

General information
CountryNew Zealand
Results
Total population218,668 [1] (Increase27.01%)
Most populous ​provincial districtCanterbury (53,866)
Least populous ​provincial districtTaranaki (4359)

The 1867 New Zealand census was held on 19 December 1867.[2] Māori were not enumerated. The total population of people of non-Māori descent, including those from non-European countries such as China, was 218,668, plus 1,455 military men and their families. Across the country there was an average of 20.6% more men than women, down from almost 24% in 1864. This difference was most marked in Nelson Province, which had almost 38% more men than women. In Auckland Province there was only a 12% "excess" of men.[3] Part of the discrepancy was acknowledged to be an influx of (male) miners to the gold fields. 97% of Chinese in New Zealand in 1867 lived in Otago Province,[4] and around 18% of miners on the Otago goldfields were Chinese.[5]

Although Māori were not counted in the 1867 census, estimates were made. Native Commissioner Alexander Mackay surveyed Māori in the provinces of Canterbury, Otago and Southland in early 1868, just a few months after the official census. His results showed a total of 1,438 Māori in those three provinces. Most Māori lived in the North Island, and the population there (including Nelson and the Chatham Islands) was estimated to be around 37,000, giving a total nationwide of about 38,500. The Registrar-General believed this estimate to be lower than the true number of Māori.[6]

Non-Māori population by province

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Province European population[7] Percent (%) change since 1864 Main town in each province Population of town
Auckland 48,321 +14.68% Auckland 11,153
Taranaki 4,359 −0.34% New Plymouth 2,180
Wellington 21,950 +46.46% Wellington 7,460
Hawke's Bay 5,283 +40.13% Napier 1,827
Nelson 23,814 +99.94% Nelson 5,652
Marlborough 4,371 −20.8% Picton[8] 465
Canterbury (including Westland) 53,866 +66.89% Christchurch 6,647
Otago 48,577 −0.9% Dunedin 12,777
Southland 7,943 −1.76% Invercargill 2,006
Chatham Islands 184 +113.95%
Total (exclusive of Military and their families) 218,668
Military and families 1,455
Total including Military 220,123

Birthplaces of the non-Māori population as of December 1867

[edit]

About 30% of the non-Māori population was born in England, with another 30% coming from the rest of the United Kingdom, and 30% was born in New Zealand.

Place of birth Totals[9] Percent (%) of population
New Zealand 64,052 29.29
England 65,614 30.01
Ireland 27,955 12.78
Scotland 34,826 15.93
Wales 1,319 0.6
Australian Colonies 11,313 5.17
Other British Dominions 3,798 1.74
United States of America 1,213 0.56
France 553 0.25
Germany 2,838 1.3
China 1,219 0.56
Other foreign countries 2,448 1.12
At sea 751 0.34
Not specified 769 0.35
Total 218,668 100

Religious affiliation

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The proportion of each religious affiliation hadn't changed much from the 1864 census.

Denomination Numbers Percent (%) of Population
1864 1867 1864 1867
Church of England 73,118 92,990 42.47 42.53
Presbyterian Churches 42,058 54,929 24.43 25.12
Roman Catholic Church 21,507 30,413 12.49 13.91
Wesleyan Methodist Church 12,506 16,669 7.26 7.62
Congregational Independents 3,689 4,246 2.14 1.94
Baptists 3,391 4,353 1.97 1.99
Primitive Methodists 1,340 1,332 0.78 0.61
Lutheran Church 1,803 2,383 1.05 1.09
Hebrews 955 1,247 0.56 0.57
Society of Friends 128 146 0.08 0.07
Protestants (no particular denomination specified) 6,825 3,902 3.96 1.78
Otherwise Described 2,220 4,306 1.29 1.97
Not Described 2,618 1,752 1.52 0.8
Totals 172,158 218,668 100 100

Occupations

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Regarding difficulties in classifying and recording occupations, the Registrar-General pointed out:

Amongst the causes of this difficulty continue to be: --the great number of cases in which settlers follow more than one occupation;-- the instances (probably frequent) in which they entered in the Schedules the professions or callings to which they were brought up, or with which they would prefer to be identified, (perhaps from a notion of their superior "respectability", as if there were not true respectability in the diligent pursuit of any branch of honest industry), rather than those in which they are most habitually engaged, or from which they principally derive their maintenance; --the vagueness of many of the descriptions; --and the different names given to what may be regarded as really the same business.[10]

Most of those who had no stated occupation were women and children, but small numbers of women did declare that they worked in various occupations. Most domestic servants were women. The Registrar-General noted that 17,049 women said they were engaged in "domestic duties", which was not an official category of work and would have represented unpaid work in the home. He admitted that the number of women saying their occupation was "domestic duties" was very incomplete as some provinces had no figures for this category.

Occupation[10] Numerical Percent (%) of Population
1864 1867 Females included in total[11] 1864 1867
Trade, Commerce, and Manufactures 7,625 10,194 246 4.43 4.66
Agricultural and Pastoral 12,089 18,863 242 7.02 8.63
Mechanics, Artificers, and Skilled Workers 12,118 13,695 1,397 7.04 6.26
Mining 12,527 20,372 7.28 9.32
Professions: Clerical, Medical, and Legal ... 733[12] 0.36 0.33
Teachers, Surveyors, and Other Educated Professions 1,106 1,477 (teachers) 494[13] 0.64 0.67
Labourers 12,639 13,025 7.34 5.96
Domestic and General Servants 6,202 7,259 5,055 3.6 3.32
Miscellaneous 13,951 27,829 1,040 8.11 12.73
No Occupation Stated (principally Women and Children) 93,282 105,221 ("domestic duties") 17,409 54.18 48.12
Totals 172,158 218,668 100 100

References

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  1. ^ People of European descent, excluding military
  2. ^ "Dates of New Zealand censuses since 1851". 23 September 2016. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Statistics of New Zealand for 1867: Relative proportions of sexes". www3.stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  4. ^ "STATISTICS OF NEW ZEALAND FOR 1867: PART I., Census, Table No. 11". www3.stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Dunedin, Tuesday, April 14". Otago Daily Times. 14 April 1868. p. 4 – via Papers Past.
  6. ^ "Statistics of New Zealand for 1867 [Aboriginal Native Population]". www3.stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Statistics of New Zealand for 1867: Population". www3.stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Census of New Zealand". Press. 21 July 1868. p. 2 – via Papers Past.
  9. ^ "Results of a Census of New Zealand". www3.stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Statistics of New Zealand for 1867: Occupations". www3.stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  11. ^ "STATISTICS OF NEW ZEALAND FOR 1867". www3.stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  12. ^ This figure is extrapolated from other data.
  13. ^ According to tables in the census, there were 232 male and 115 female teachers in public schools, but many other men and women would have taught at private schools or Sunday schools.