Wikipedia

1911 Australian census

(Redirected from 1911 Australia Census)

The 1911 Australian census was the first national population census held in Australia and was conducted by the Bureau of Census and Statistics. The day used for the census, was taken for the night between 2 and 3 April 1911. The total population of the Commonwealth of Australia was counted as 4,455,005 – an increase of 681,204 people, 18.05% over the 1901 "Federation" census.[1][a][2]

First commonwealth census
← 1901 3 April 1911; 113 years ago (1911-04-03) 1921 →
General information
CountryCommonwealth of Australia
AuthorityBureau of Census and Statistics
Websiteabs.gov.au (1911)
Results
Total population4,455,005 (Increase18.05%)
Most populous ​state or territoryNew South Wales (1,646,734)
Least populous ​state or territoryFederal Territory (1,714)

The Census Volumes II and III were published on 30 September 1914. At that time it was intended to issue shortly thereafter Volume 1.[3]

Collection method

edit

The first Commonwealth Statistician was George Handley Knibbs. He began his career as a licensed surveyor in government service. On Monday 3 April 1911, census collectors set out all over Australia under mostly clear skies to begin gathering in Australia's first national census forms. They covered suburbs to rural towns and the outback. They travelled by bike or horse where they had the transport that was needed to cover large areas, however, most travelled by foot. Some in Northern Queensland had to find their way through a flooded landscape while others in South Australia had difficulties finding water and fodder for their horses due to droughts. They had distributed the forms prior to the census day.[4]

 
The Rialto building, 497–503 Collins Street, where Knibbs and staff occupied during the census.[5]

There was a permanent staff of the 'Bureau of Census and Statistics' which consisted of the Statistician (Knibbs) and many assistants, some young men working as clerks as well as a couple of messenger boys. A female typist had joined soon after. They worked in the old Rialto Building in Collins Street, Melbourne.[6]

Collectors had to supply their own transport and cover any associated costs such as fodder and petrol. They were paid according to their method of transport. Collectors on foot were paid ten shilling a day, those on bicycle fifteens shillings a day and those on horse 20 shillings a day. Police were used in the days immediately following the census to get travellers, swagmen and campers to provide their information. Train conductors and ships' captains were also used as collectors in the 1911 census and several subsequent censuses, to cover people travelling overnight on census night.[7]

Census questions

edit

"For Every Person present in the Night from 2 to 3 April 1911, or returning on 3rd April (if not included elsewhere).[8]
1. Name in full (Underline Surname.)
2. Sex – {Write M for Male}, {Write F for Female}
3. Date of Birth: Day, Month, Year
(a) Where exact date of birth is unknown, age at last birthday____years
4. If married, write M. If widowed, write W. If divorced, write D. If never married, write N. M.
5. Date of existing Marriage: Year...........
6. Number of Children (living and dead) from existing Marriage...........

  • (a) Number of Children (living and dead) from previous Marriage............

7. Relation to Head of Household
8. State if Blind or Deaf and Dumb ..............
9. Country (or Australian State) where born
10. If a British subject by parentage. write P.

  • If a British subject by Naturalization. write N.
  • Race –

11. If born outside Commonwealth, state length of residence therein

    • (a) Date of Arrival in Commonwealth, Day, Month, Year, .

12. Religion 13. Education

    • (a) At present receiving Education

14. Profession or Occupation
(If engaged in more than one occupation. underline principal occupation.)

    • (a) State if Employer or Employee, &c
    • (b) If out of work, state period
    • (c) Occupation of Employer (if any).

Population and dwellings

edit

Population counts for Australian states and territories had 4,455,005 and 19,939 full-Aboriginals (counted separately) for a total population of 4,474,944.[9]

Note: All figures are for the census usually resident population count.

States and Territories Males Females Total
  New South Wales 857,698 789,036 1,646,734
  Victoria 655,591 659,960 1,315,551
  Queensland 329,506 276,307 605,813
  South Australia 207,358 201,200 408,558
  Western Australia 161,565 120,549 282,114
  Tasmania 97,591 93,620 191,211
Territories
Northern Territory 2,734 576 3,310
Federal Territory 992 722 1,714
  Commonwealth of Australia 2,313,035' 2,141,970 4,455,005
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics[b][10][11]
States and Territories Males Females Total
    New South Wales 1,152 860 2,012
    Victoria 103 93 196
    Queensland 5,145 3,542 8,687
    South Australia 802 637 1,439
    Western Australia 3,433 2,936 6,369
    Tasmania 2 1 3
Territories
    Northern Territory 743 480 1,223
    Federal Territory 5 5 10
Commonwealth of Australia 11,385 8,554 19,939
Source: ABS[12]

Birthplace

edit

At the Census of 3 April 1911, each person was asked to state on a "personal" card, the "Country or Australian State where born," and to state on a "personal" card, and from the replies to this query, taken in conjunction with the other data furnished, the tables contained in Part II.[13]

% of the overseas-born.[14]

  England (50.0%)
  Ireland (20.0%)
  Scotland (13.0%)
  Germany (5.0%)
  New Zealand (5.0%)
  China (3.0%)
  Wales (2.0%)
  Italy (1.0%)
  British India (1.0%)
  United States (%)
Country of birth Population Percent
Australasia 3,721,052 83.52
  Australia 3,667,670 82.90
New South Wales 1,315,030 –
Victoria 1,181,787 –
Queensland 415,064 –
South Australia 394,768 –
Western Australia 114,550 –
Tasmania 193,770 –
Northern Territory 710 –
Australia (undefined) 51,991 –
Totals, Overseas-born 766,070 16.48
  New Zealand 32,117 0.72
Europe 673,006 15.11
  England 346,030 7.75
  Scotland 93,083 –
  Isle of Man 1,007 –
  Ireland 139,434 –
  Wales 12,175 –
  Other European British pos. 2,378 –
  Austria-Hungary 2,774 –
  Belgium 339 –
  Denmark 5,663 –
  France 2,876 –
  Germany 32,990 –
  Greece 1,798 –
  Italy 6,719 –
  Netherlands 745 –
  Norway 3,451 –
  Portugal 173 –
  Russia 4,456 –
  Spain 658 –
  Sweden 5,586 –
  Switzerland 1,736 –
Other European Countries 600 –
Asia 36,822 0.83
  China 20,775 –
Africa 4,995 0.11
  South Africa (undefined) 2,525 –
America 11,402 0.25
  United States of America 6,642 –
  Canada 2,944 –
Polynesia 3,439 0.08
  Fiji 852 –
At sea 4,289 0.10
Unspecified 30,470 –
Totals, Commonwealth 4,455,005 100.00%
Source: ABS[15]

Race

edit

At the first Australian census in 1911 only those "aboriginal natives" living near European settlements were enumerated, and the main population tables included only those of half or less Aboriginal descent. Details of those "full-blood" Aborigines enumerated were included in separate tables.[16]

Race Population Percentage
European 4,402,662 98.83%
Totals, non-European 52,343 1.17%
Aboriginals (half) 10,113 0.23%
Asiatic 38,690 0.87%
     Chinese 25,772 –
     Hindus 3,698 –
     Japanese 3,576 –
African 693 0.01%
American 89 0.00%
     American Indians 51 –
     West Indies (so described) 35 –
Polynesian 2,751 0.06%
     Polynesians (so described) 2,197 –
     Papuans 375 –
Indefinite 7 0.00%
Commonwealth 4,455,005 100.00%
Full-Aboriginal (counted separately)* 19,939 –
Totals.. 4,474,944 100.00%
Source[17][18]

Religion

edit

According to these figures it appears that of the 4,455,005 people in Australia on census day (3 April. 1911) 4,274,414 were Christians, 36,785 non-Christians, 14,673 are described as indefinite, 10,016 were of no religion, 83,003 objected to state to what faith, if any, they belonged, and the remaining 36,114 were unspecified.

Religion. 1911 Census
Number Percentage
Christian 4,274,414 95.95%
    Church of England 1,710,443 38.4%
    Presbyterians 558,336 –
    Methodists 547,806 –
    Baptist 97,074 –
    Congregational 74,046 –
    Lutheran 72,395 –
    Church of Christ 38,748 –
    Salvation Army 26,665 –
    Seventh-day Adventist 6,095 –
    Unitarian 2,175 –
     Protestant (undefined) 109,861 –
    Roman; Catholic 921,425 20.7%
    Greek Catholic 2,646 –
     Catholic (undefined) 75,379 –
     Others 31,320 –
Non-Christian 36,785
    Hebrew 17,287 –
    Confucian 5,194 –
    Mohammedan 3,908 –
    Buddhist 3,269 –
    Pagan 1,447 –
     Others 5,680 –
Indefinite 14,673
    Freethinker 3,254 –
    Agnostic 3,084 –
     No Denomination 2,688 –
    Others 5,647 –
No Religion 10,016
    No Religion 9,251 –
    Atheist 579 –
    Others 186 –
Object to state 83,003 –
Unspecified 36,114 –
Grand total .. 4,455,005 100.00%
Source[19]

See also

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^ (Excluding the Dwellings occupied solely by Full-blooded Aboriginals).
  2. ^ At the Census of 3 April 1911 (Full-blooded Aboriginals not included).

References

edit
  1. ^ "Census of the Commonwealth of Australia, 1911]". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 3 April 1911. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Census of The Commonwealth Of Australia, 1911 PART XIV.-SUMMARY TABLES" (PDF). ausstats.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  3. ^ "VOLUME I. STATISTICIAN'S REPORT INCLUDING APPENDICES" (PDF). ausstats.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  4. ^ "Reflecting a Nation Stories from the 1911 – 2011 Census". abs.gov.au. July 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  5. ^ "Reflecting a Nation Stories from the 1911 – 2011 Census". abs.gov.au. July 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  6. ^ "Reflecting a Nation Stories from the 1911 – 2011 Census". abs.gov.au. July 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Reflecting a Nation Stories from the 1911 – 2011 Census". abs.gov.au. July 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  8. ^ "SPECIMEN OF A FILLED IN PERSONAL CARD. COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA. CENSUS, 3rd APRIL 1911" (PDF). ausstats.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  9. ^ "Census of the Commonwealth of Australia, 1911 Australian Bureau of Statistics". abs.gov.au. 3 April 1911. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  10. ^ Census of the Commonwealth of Australia, 1911, Australian Bureau of Statistics
  11. ^ Census of The Commonwealth Of Australia, 1911. PART XIV.-SUMMARY TABLES
  12. ^ Census of The Commonwealth Of Australia, 1911. PART XIV.-SUMMARY TABLES
  13. ^ "Census of the Commonwealth of Australia, 1911" (PDF). Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1911. p. 114. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  14. ^ "Towards a super connected Australia" (PDF). nbnco.com.au. 2015. p. 7. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  15. ^ "Census of the Commonwealth of Australia, 1911 (P.114)" (PDF). Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1911. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  16. ^ Madden, Richard; Al-Yaman, Fadwa (2003). "How Statisticians Describe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples" (PDF). 2003 Seminars on Health and Society: An Australian Indigenous Context. Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2006. Retrieved 25 June 2006.
  17. ^ "Pocket Compendium of Australian Statistics Volumes 20–24". 1934. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  18. ^ "PART VIII. NON.EUROPEAN RACES Census of the Commonwealth of Australia, 1911". abs.gov.au. 25 November 2009. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  19. ^ "Census of The Commonwealth Of Australia, 1911. PART XIV.-SUMMARY TABLES Religion" (PDF). ausstats.abs.gov.au. p. 2111. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1911_Australian_census&oldid=1226982152"