Australia Yearbook - 2001

130 Year Book Australia 2001
start that census-collecting would be one of the
functions of the new nation. This assumption
was never challenged, either in 1891 or at the
second Federal Convention, in 1897–98. In 1901
the new Commonwealth acquired the
constitutional power to make laws concerning
the ‘census and statistics’, through section 51
(xi) of the Constitution.
The only debate in the Conventions over the
census concerned whether to include tribal
Aborigines in a calculation of the population of
the Commonwealth. The debate concluded
with section 127 of the Constitution which said
that, ‘in reckoning’ the numbers of the people
of the Commonwealth or of a State, the
‘Aboriginal natives’ should not be counted. This
did not mean that no records of the Aboriginal
people were kept. The section was introduced
principally so that the numbers of Federal
politicians per State, as well as per capita
Commonwealth grants, would be based on the
total population of Europeans and assimilated
part-Aboriginal people. This section was
removed from the Constitution following a
referendum in 1967.
The census and statistics found their way into
other parts of the Constitution. Because the
populations of the States are very uneven, it is
important to have an equitable way of
determining the number of Members in the
House of Representatives to which each State is
entitled. Section 24 of the Constitution sets out
the means of calculating an individual State’s
‘quota’, using ‘the latest statistics of the
Commonwealth’. Using statistics in this way,
and making sure that only the most up-to-date
information is employed, underpins the
relationship between statistics and the
processes of representative democracy. It
affirms the principle that representation should
be fair and personal. It assists governments in
responding to the needs of electorates.
Section 24 is one of the most important sections
in the Constitution. It requires the House of
Representatives to be ‘directly chosen’ by the
people. These words, the High Court has found,
provide a guarantee of representative
democracy and free political communication
throughout Australia. This guarantee is assisted
by the use of statistical information in ensuring
that representation is apportioned fairly.
For the first decade after Federation, the States
continued to collect census statistics
individually. The first Commonwealth collection
took place in 1911, following the establishment
in 1905 of the Commonwealth Bureau of
Census and Statistics and the position of
Commonwealth Statistician. This work received
international attention. Australia was an early
pioneer of democracy. It was also a pioneer in
population statistics. Their link is an important
part of Australia’s history and stands as one of
the building-blocks of our constitutional system.
Population size and growth
This section examines the size, growth,
distribution and age structure of the Australian
population. There is an emphasis on the change
over time, especially changes in the growth rate
of the population.
As shown in table 5.1, Australia’s resident
population at June 1999 was just under
19 million, an increase of 1.3% over the previous
year. The slightly higher growth rate in 1998–99
was mainly due to a resurgence in net overseas
migration. The preliminary estimate of net
overseas migration was 117,300 persons, 36%
higher than in the previous year (86,400).
The growth rate in Australia for the 12 months to
June 1999 was the same as the overall world
growth rate of 1.3%. The growth rates for Japan
(0.2%), Germany (0.3%) the United Kingdom
(0.3%) and New Zealand (0.5%) were well below
that of Australia, while Singapore (3.5%),
Hong Kong (2.6%) and Papua New Guinea (2.5%)
experienced growth rates above that of Australia.
These growth rates are shown in table 5.2.