Population.

The population of Canterbury, according to the first official census in 1854, was 3895, excluding the district south of the Rangitat river, which was then practically unsettled. Of this total Christchurch claimed 548 within its city limits; there were 362 registered at Riccarton, and 369 at Papanui. When the second census was taken the population of the province had risen to 5347, but of these 2485 were living in Christchurch and suburbs. Lyttelton, which at the first census had 919 inhabitants, had now fallen to 756, and the preponderance of the capital city was thenceforth assured.

By 1891 the population of Canterbury had risen to 129,901; males 66,753, females 63,148. At the last census, taken on the 31st of March, 1901, the figures for the province were: Total 143,040; males 72,916, females 70,124. At the same date the population for the other large provinces was: Otago— Males 90,599, females 82,552, total 173,111; Auckland—Males 92,926, females 82,928, total 175,854; Wellington—Males 74,306, females 66,930, total 141,236.

It will be observed that the number of males and females is much more closely balanced in Canterbury than in the other provincial districts. This fact is to a large extent explained by the importance—in Auckland and Otago —of those industries which are monopolised by male labour—mining, gum digging, and sawmilling.

A little over one-third of the provincial population is concentrated in and around the chief city, and the existence of large industrial centres like Ashburton and Timaru has helped to prevent the aggregation of an undue proportion of the populace in any single town. The nature of the staple industries, and the extent to which the land is divided into small holdings, have further aided the colonists to disseminate themselves over a large area without serious pressure on any one spot.

According to census returns for 1891 the total population of Christchurch City was 16,223. For 1896 the city record was 16,964; 8037 males, and 8927 females. But the slight advance in the page 18 city had been far surpassed by the gain in many of the suburbs and suburban road districts. Including the boroughs of St. Albans, Linwood, Woolston, and Sydenham, the city population had, in 1896, risen to 41,229; including those parts of the road districts of Spreydon, Halswell, Riccarton, Avon, and Heathcote, which practically form portions of the city, the suburban population reached a total of 34,366; giving a grand total for the city and suburbs (thus defined) of 51,330, composed of 24,598 males, and 26,732 females. At the census of 1901 the population of Christchurch City was 17,537 (males 8,251, females 9,286), and the suburban boroughs of St. Albans, Sydenham, Linwood, and Woolston all showed a considerable increase. The population of the adjacent road districts should, however, be included with that of the city and suburbs to allow a fair comparison with the other large centres, and by doing this the total for Christchurch and suburbs is brought up to 56,033. At the same date—31st of March, 1901— the population for Auckland and suburbs was 67,226, Wellington and suburbs 49,344, and Dunedin and suburbs 52,390.