1874 New Zealand census
| Seventh census of the Colony of New Zealand | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| General information | ||
| Country | New Zealand | |
| Results | ||
| Total population | 299,385 [1] (  16.82%) | |
| Most populous | Auckland (67,451) | |
| Least populous | Taranaki (5,465) | |
The 1874 New Zealand census was a population count taken in 1874. The population of New Zealand was 299,385, not including Māori.[2] The Māori population was estimated to be around 46,000, of whom 43,538 lived in the North Island.[3][4] This included part-Māori people living as Māori. Census papers were delivered to households during February 1874, to be completed for the night of 1 March 1874.[5] The census asked questions about people's age, sex, marital status, religion, place of birth, health and education. Additional questions were asked about land use and ownership and about farm animals and equipment.[6]
The census of Māori people was conducted differently to the general census. Instead of delivering papers to each household and later collecting them, officers enquired about the population from reliable local Māori. The reasoning was that Māori had always been used to transmitting their history and pedigrees orally, so more accurate results would be obtained than by means of printed forms.[3]
The number of Chinese living in New Zealand was shown to have almost doubled from the previous census in 1871, from 2640 to 4796. Only two Chinese women were said to be living in the country: one in Otago and one in the Chatham Islands.[3]
| Region | Population | Population increase or decrease |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | 67,451 | +8.21% |
| Taranaki | 5,465 | +21.99% |
| Hawke's Bay | 9,228 | +52.30% |
| Wellington | 29,790 | +24.12% |
| Nelson | 22,558 | +0.25% |
| Marlborough | 6,145 | +17.38% |
| Canterbury | 58,775 | +25.58% |
| Westland | 14,860 | -3.24% |
| Otago | 85,113 | +22.48% |
Māori population[edit]
In each district enumerated, the number of Māori over and under 15 was listed by tribe, hapū and locality. There were more males than females in every district except Raglan and Kawhia. The biggest difference was in Kaipara, where there were 20% more males than females. In some cases the enumerators had to estimate numbers, for example in Hawkes Bay south of the Tangio River, where the enumerator listed 71 hapu with a guess at the total population there. In the upper Wanganui River area, about 250 people were noted to be temporarily absent at Waikato and Waitara.[7] The total Māori population was estimated to be 46,016 people.
| North Island districts | Males | Females | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mangonui | 1,129 | 942 | 2,071 |
| Hokianga | 1,548 | 1,248 | 2,796 |
| Bay of Islands | 1,548 | 1,291 | 2,839 |
| Whangarei | 294 | 217 | 511 |
| Kaipara | 789 | 524 | 1,313 |
| Auckland | 114 | 81 | 195 |
| Waiuku | 113 | 103 | 216 |
| Wairoa and Waiheke | 44 | 37 | 81 |
| Lower Waikato | 211 | 172 | 383 |
| Upper Waikato (estimated population) | 2407 | 1,987 | 4,394 |
| Raglan and Kawhia | 1,050 | 1,113 | 2,163 |
| Hauraki | 947 | 717 | 1,664 |
| Tauranga | 662 | 583 | 1,245 |
| Maketu | 1,546 | 1,399 | 2,945 |
| Opotiki | 1,042 | 906 | 1,948 |
| Urewera | 348 | 336 | 684 |
| Waiapu | 1,345 | 1,108 | 2,453 |
| Turanga | 788 | 602 | 1,390 |
| Wairoa, Hawke's Bay | 1,889 | 1,592 | 3,481 |
| Hawke's Bay (south of Tangio River) | 970 | 900 | 1,870 |
| Taupo | 442 | 408 | 850 |
| Wairarapa | 417 | 325 | 742 |
| Taranaki | 1,561 | 1,200 | 2,761 |
| Wanganui | 556 | 454 | 1,010 |
| Upper Wanganui River | 1,117 | 888 | 2,005 |
| Rangitikei | 312 | 272 | 584 |
| Otaki and Porirua | 360 | 293 | 653 |
| Wellington | 90 | 71 | 161 |
| Total North Island inc half-castes | 23,639 | 19,769 | 43,408 |
| South Island districts | Males | Females | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malborough | 252 | 200 | 452 |
| Nelson | 243 | 197 | 440 |
| Westland | 55 | 41 | 96 |
| Canterbury | 300 | 258 | 558 |
| Otago, Stewart Island and Ruapuke Island | 567 | 495 | 1,062 |
| Total South Island inc half-castes | 1,417 | 1,191 | 2,608 |
References[edit]
- ^ non-Māori
- ^ 1874 census results
- ^ a b c "New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1874". Statistics New Zealand. 1 June 1875. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ "Approximate Census of the Maori Population". Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives. 1 June 1874. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021 – via Paperspast.
- ^ "Government Census Papers". Daily Southern Cross. 10 February 1874. Retrieved 20 April 2021 – via Paperspast.
- ^ "[untitled]". New Zealand Herald. 17 February 1874. Retrieved 20 April 2021 – via Paperspast.
- ^ "Approximate census of the Maori population". Appendices to the Journals of the House of Representatives. 1874 (Session 1, Section G7): 1–20. 1 June 1874 – via Papers Past.
 | This New Zealand–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |