1851 New Zealand census

The 1851 New Zealand census was the first national population census held in the Crown colony of New Zealand. The day used for the census was Saturday 1 November 1851. The enumeration was left to the governments of New Ulster and New Munster, the two provinces into which the country was then divided and was ordered by the Census Ordinance of 1851.[1] The census, which only surveyed European New Zealanders, revealed a population of 26,707.[2]

First census of the
Colony of New Zealand
1851 census "Blue Book" statistics for "New Munster" (South Island).
General information
CountryColony of New Zealand, British Empire
Date taken1 November 1851 (1851-11-01)
Total population26,707
Most populous districtAuckland (9,430)
Least populous districtNew Plymouth (1,532)

Summary

General Census of 1851

  • December 1851. (Reports appeared in Auckland Provincial Government Gazettes, 1853 and 1854.)[3]

Data availability

The Blue Books were statistical information from New Zealand's early Colonial period (1840–1855). They have information about population, revenue, military, trade, shipping, public works, legislation, civil servants, foreign consuls, land transactions, churches, schools, and prisons.[4]

Population and dwellings
New Ulster & New Munster (1848 onwards).

Population counts for the New Zealand districts. The original six were Auckland, New Plymouth, Wellington, Nelson, Canterbury, and Otago, though in 1858 New Plymouth was renamed Taranaki.

Birthplace
Birthplace Population
 Percentage
New Zealand-12.3
Totals, Overseas-born–87.7
England13,48550.5
Scotland–12.7
Ireland–16.5
Wales–0.4
     Totals, British Isles–84.4
Other–3.3
Colony of New Zealand26,707100.0
Source[5][6]

Religion

Members of Christian denominations formed 93.35 per cent. of those who made answer to the inquiry at the census; non-Christian sects were 0.24 per cent.; whilst "other" religions constituted 6.41 per cent.

Denomination1851 Census
NumberPercentage
Christian24,93093.35
    Church of England14,17953.09
    Presbyterians4,12415.44
    Methodists2,75510.31
    Baptist4001.50
Totals, Protestants21,45880.34
    Roman; Catholic3,47213.00
Jews 650.24
Other specified religions1,7126.41
Totals, New Zealand26,707100.0
Source:[7][8]

Numbers of livestock

Showing the numbers of livestock in the possession of Europeans in the several settlements in 1851.

Settlement Horses Mules and Asses Horned Cattle Sheep Goats Pigs
Auckland1,0351110,94311,0752,6045,679
New Plymouth68-1,3952,700831,165
Wellington (incl Hawkes Bay)7882811,40764,0092,6543,135
Nelson532135,83892,0145,8422,609
Canterbury22472,04328,4163561,255
Otago24313,16134,8295822,371
Totals2,8906034,787233,04312,12116,214
Source:[9]

References
  1. Government Gazette 1851 "An Ordinance for taking a Census of the Colony of New Zealand"
  2. A history of census-taking in New Zealand Archived 13 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine Early population counts
  3. Chapter 2: Early Statistical Sources – 19th Century Statistical Publications
  4. Blue Books: Statistics Information 1840 – 1855 Archived 25 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine Archives New Zealand. Download: (New Munster – Population – Page 133)
  5. Bueltmann, Tanja; Gleeson, David T.; MacRaild, Donald M. (2010). "Locating the English Diaspora 1500-2010". Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  6. Blackstock, Allan; O'Gorman, Frank. "Loyalism and the Formation of the British World, 1775–1914". Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  7. Early New Zealand Books | 1851
  8. Religion in New Zealand Census data
  9. Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives of New Zealand 1851–1861 Census of New Zealand. (Page: 12)
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