The 1945 New Zealand census was held on 25 September. Total population figures for cities, boroughs and counties are included in the 1946 Year Book.[1] It was published in ten volumes, giving information such as population movement, density, housing, jobs, distance from public transport, country of birth, race and religion. Total population, including forces still abroad, was 1,747,679, and was quite unevenly distributed, as shown in this table, which in the printed document is illustrated with maps of both main islands[2] –
City / borough / county
km2
Population per km2
Eden
36
461.39
Waimairi
124
144.21
Heathcote
49
105.79
Peninsula
104
28.76
Manukau
622
21.04
Halswell
104
19.85
Makara
262
19.15
Paparua
352
18.88
Waimate West
215
13.09
Waipa
1,127
13.01
Kairanga
484
11.70
Rangiora
249
11.58
Hawera
495
11.35
Taranaki
593
11.24
Franklin
1,427
10.81
Hutt
1,165
9.88
Piako
1,150
9.50
Manawatu
686
9.11
Waikato
1,676
8.53
Hauraki Plains
603
7.95
Springs
236
7.95
Oroua
492
7.57
Tauranga
1,577
7.37
Egmont
619
7.18
Newmarket
1
6.33
Inglewood
484
6.29
Levels
681
6.25
Eltham
536
6.22
St. Kilda
2
6.14
Malvern
647
5.56
Horowhenua
1,409
5.52
Mount Eden
6
5.29
Matamata
2,409
5.06
Ohinemuri
614
4.98
Otamatea
1,090
4.86
Pahiatua
741
4.86
Ellesmere
596
4.67
Waikouaiti
808
4.67
Raglan
2,424
4.36
Woodville
404
4.36
Stratford
1,085
4.36
Kowai
407
4.29
Rodney
1,235
4.13
Devonport
4
4.09
Riccarton
3
4.05
Whangaroa
622
3.90
Dannevirke
1,111
3.90
Mount Albert
10
3.86
Otorohanga
1,554
3.78
Eyre
453
3.75
Petone
5
3.71
Hawke's Bay
4,333
3.40
Cook
2,049
3.36
Waipukurau
313
3.32
Akaroa
438
3.32
Mangonui
2,481
3.05
Napier
9
3.05
Hobson
1,932
2.97
Geraldine
1,790
2.93
Wellington City
66
2.93
Waiapu
2,054
2.90
Waimea
3,986
2.90
Wanganui
1,191
2.86
Mt Herbert
171
2.86
Onehunga
8
2.86
Waitotara
1,212
2.78
Bruce
1,347
2.78
Rotoroа
2,562
2.74
Auckland City
74
2.63
Christchurch City
67
2.63
Timaru
11
2.55
Southland
9,676
2.47
Whakatane
4,343
2.43
Matakaoa
764
2.43
Wairarapa S.
1,140
2.43
Westport
3
2.39
Waipawa
1,357
2.36
Kiwitea
930
2.36
Kawhia
855
2.32
Waitomo
2,945
2.28
Uawa
663
2.28
Patea
1,531
2.28
Kaitieke
1,424
2.28
Eketahuna
805
2.28
Taieri
2,339
2.28
Clutha
2,631
2.28
Hamilton
15
2.28
Wairoa
3,556
2.20
Clifton
1,150
2.16
Hastings
11
2.16
Thames
1,085
2.12
Rangitikei
4,338
2.08
Hawera
4
2.08
Oamaru
6
2.08
Masterton
1,518
2.05
Wairewa
440
2.05
Otahuhu
5
2.05
Coromandel
1,137
2.01
Palmerston N City
20
2.01
Mauriceville
298
1.97
S. Invercargill
9
1.97
Takaka
1,181
1.85
One Tree Hill
10
1.85
Oxford
824
1.81
Tauranga
4
1.81
Milton
1
1.81
New Plymouth
17
1.74
Waimate
3,582
1.70
Gisborne
14
1.70
Port Chalmers
2
1.66
Dunedin City
62
1.66
Ellerslie
3
1.62
Wanganui City
23
1.62
Ohura
1,077
1.58
Marlborough
4,973
1.58
Ashburton
6,369
1.58
Lower Hutt City
31
1.58
Hokitika
3
1.58
Ashburton
8
1.58
Featherston
2,466
1.54
Invercargill City
24
1.54
Patangata
1,704
1.47
Cheviot
847
1.47
Waitaki
6,195
1.47
Kaikoura
2,406
1.43
Takapuna
11
1.43
Taumarunul
2,274
1.35
Waimarino
2,287
1.35
Blenheim
7
1.35
Inangahua
2,458
1.31
Opotiki
3,647
1.27
Dannevirke
5
1.27
Greymouth
10
1.27
Waimate
3
1.27
Masterton
12
1.24
Queenstown
1
1.24
Akitio
831
1.20
New Lynn
6
1.20
Green Island
4
1.20
Waikohu
2,732
1.16
Grey
4,090
1.16
Waihemo
875
1.16
Otorohanga
1
1.16
Tuapeka
3,595
1.12
Papatoetoe
5
1.12
Johnsonville
3
1.12
Whangarei
14
1.08
Weber
306
1.04
Rangiora
4
1.04
Castlepoint
526
1.00
Te Awamutu
5
1.00
Nelson City
20
1.00
Temuka
3
1.00
Balclutha
3
1.00
Gore
8
1.00
Buller
5,050
0.97
Waipara
2,427
0.97
Feilding
8
0.97
Upper Hutt
9
0.97
Levin
5
0.93
Pahiatua
3
0.93
Mosgiel
4
0.93
Wallace
9,653
0.89
Rotorua
13
0.89
Northcote
5
0.85
Morrinsville
4
0.85
Foxton
3
0.85
Tapanui
1
0.85
Tahunanui
2
0.85
Huntly
6
0.81
Marton
6
0.81
Akaroa
1
0.81
Nightcaps
1
0.81
Kawakawa (Bay of Islands)
1
0.81
Ashley
800
0.77
Maniototo
3,471
0.77
Cambridge
5
0.77
Opotiki
3
0.77
Waipukurau
4
0.77
Kaiapoi
4
0.77
Winton
2
0.77
Whangamomona
1,158
0.73
Sounds
1,308
0.73
Stratford
8
0.73
Matamata
4
0.69
Whakatane
6
0.69
Wairoa
6
0.69
Inglewood
3
0.69
Great Barrier Is
285
0.66
Collingwood
1,456
0.66
Eastbourne
6
0.66
Havelock North
3
0.66
Te Kuiti
7
0.62
Paeroa
6
0.62
Geraldine
2
0.62
Waverley
2
0.62
Leeston
2
0.62
Selwyn
2,471
0.58
Thames
11
0.58
Otaki
6
0.58
Carterton
5
0.58
Picton
4
0.58
Runanga
5
0.58
Awatere
2,639
0.54
Chatham Is
963
0.54
Ngaruawahia
5
0.54
Taumarunui
8
0.54
Waitara
6
0.54
Opunake
3
0.54
Naseby
0
0.54
Rawene (Hokianga)
1
0.54
Waitemata
1,572
0.52
Taupo
8,474
0.50
Vincent
7,568
0.50
Featherston
3
0.50
Lyttelton
10
0.50
Alexandra
3
0.50
Mackenzie
7,094
0.46
Birkenhead
12
0.46
Eltham
6
0.46
Mataura
5
0.46
Riverton
3
0.46
Henderson
5
0.46
Glen Eden
5
0.46
Howick
4
0.46
Taradale
6
0.46
Manaia
2
0.46
Normanby (Hawera)
1
0.46
Havelock (Marlborough
1
0.46
Papakura
8
0.42
Mt Maunganui
4
0.42
Te Puke
4
0.42
Raetihi
4
0.42
Taihape
8
0.42
Shannon
3
0.42
Kaitangata
5
0.42
Hikurangi
4
0.42
Putaruru
4
0.42
Amuri
5,843
0.39
Westland
11,422
0.39
Pukekohe
14
0.39
Woodville
4
0.39
Patea
6
0.39
West Harbour
8
0.39
Roxburgh
2
0.39
Bluff
9
0.39
Pohangina
671
0.35
Murchison
3,657
0.35
Kaitaia
5
0.35
Manurewa
8
0.35
Waihi
17
0.35
Te Aroha
11
0.35
Lawrence
2
0.35
Cromwell
3
0.35
Bull's
3
0.35
Takaka (Takaka)
2
0.35
Dargaville
11
0.31
Martinborough
4
0.31
Motueka
10
0.31
Palmerston
4
0.31
Kaikohe
5
0.31
Helensville
5
0.31
Wyndham
3
0.31
Kihikihi (Waipa)
2
0.31
Tawera
2,437
0.27
Waipawa
7
0.27
Ohakune
8
0.27
Eketahuna
4
0.27
Kamo
3
0.27
Waiuku
5
0.27
Tuakau
5
0.27
Hunterville
3
0.27
Pleasant Point
3
0.27
Kaponga (Eltham)
2
0.27
Southbridge (Ellesmere)
2
0.27
Edendale (Southland)
3
0.27
Greytown
8
0.23
Manunui
5
0.23
Ohura
3
0.23
Otautau
4
0.23
Kawhia (Kawhia)
2
0.23
Hokianga
1,588
0.19
Bay of Islands
2,134
0.19
Stewart Is
1,735
0.19
Richmond
11
0.19
Kumara
3
0.19
Leamington
5
0.19
Onerahi (Whangarei)
4
0.19
Te Karaka (Waikohu)
3
0.19
Whangarei
2,704
0.18
Lake
10,028
0.15
Hampden
3
0.15
Arrowtown
2
0.15
Warkworth
6
0.15
Tinwald
6
0.15
Lumsden
5
0.15
Russell (Bay of Islands)
4
0.15
Outram (Taieri)
4
0.15
Clinton (Clutha)
4
0.15
Waikouaiti
8
0.12
Mangaweka
4
0.12
Mercer (Franklin)
4
0.12
Te Kauwhata (Waikato
5
0.12
Brunner
23
0.08
Kohukohu (Hokianga)
4
0.08
Ohaupo (Waipa)
5
0.08
Patutahi (Cook)
5
0.08
Ross
15
0.04
Fiord
7,861
0.00
Usually, a census is held in New Zealand every five years. However, due to World War II, the 1941 census was postponed through section 36 of the Finance Act, 1940, which authorised the census due in 1941 to be taken between 1942 and 1945 (inclusive).[3] The last completed census had been held in 1936, i.e. nine years earlier.[4]
As Minister of Industries and Commerce, Dan Sullivan was in charge of the Census and Statistics Department and in 1943, he commented that there was little hope for the census to be taken while the war was still going.[5] In early April 1945, it became known that the government had plans to hold the census later that year[3] and on 11 April 1945, acting Prime MinisterWalter Nash confirmed that it would take place during the coming September. One objective with the 1945 date was to be able to redefine electorate boundaries just prior to the 1946 general election.[6] Bringing the census forward affected the census data. With World War II continuing until September 1945, with thousands of young men still overseas and the economy still geared to wartime conditions.[7] There was lobbying from conservative circles, for example the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, the Otago-Southland Manufacturers' Association, and the New Zealand Farmers' Federation, for the census to be held in 1946 as originally scheduled.[8][9][10] In an editorial, The New Zealand Herald also argued for adherence to the normal schedule, for example to make it easier for statisticians to provide timeline data (since 1881, the census had been held every five years).[10]
Census returns were released as they became known, on a city, borough, town district, or county basis. The first preliminary results were those issued for Havelock Town District, which appeared in newspapers on 3 October 1945.[11] The results from the census were an input to the 1946 electoral redistribution. As the government had, in a surprise move, abolished the country quota through the Electoral Amendment Act, 1945, the redistribution changed the boundaries of every electorate prior to the 1946 general election.[12]
^Population Census, 1945 Vol. I. Increase And Location Of Population. Census and Statistics Department – licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under CC4.0. 1947.
