542 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION F. 



Census taken in 1891, contained the astonishing number 

 of 5,657,000 inhabitants, as against 4,767,000 in 1881, and 

 only 3,886,000 in 1871 ; Paris had 2,427,000 inhabitants in 

 1891, as against 2,240,000 in 1881, and only 1,989,000 in 

 1876, — these large increases having taken place whilst the 

 whole population of France remained almost stationary ; 

 Berlin had 1,609,000 in 1890, as against 1,315,000 in 1885, 

 and only 826,000 in 1871; and Vienna had 1,350,000 in 

 1887, as against only 967,000 in 1875. 



The growth of tlie population of the Australian capital 

 cities has been even more marked than that of the cities 

 of the old world. Thus, in the ten years ended with 1891 

 the population of Greater Melbourne increased from 283,000 

 to 491,000, or by 74 per cent. ; that of Sydney from 224,000 

 to 387,000, or by 72 per cent. ; and that of Adelaide from 

 104,000 to 133,000, or by 28 per cent. ; whilst in the five 

 years ended with 1891 the population of Brisbane increased 

 from 74,000 to 92,000, or by 25 per cent. 



The reasons which have led to this important development 

 of modern times are not far to seek. In old countries 

 before railways were constructed, and when no better means 

 of internal communication existed than that afforded by 

 ordinary roads, in some cases badly kept, and in winter 

 almost impassable, a number of small towns was a necessity. 

 They were not only the depots for the supplies required for 

 the use of the country residents, and the centres for the 

 disposal of all descriptions of produce raised in the interior, 

 but were the places where such residents found all they ever 

 knew of life in the way of pleasure, recreation, and social 

 enjoyment. Many during their whole lifetime never saw 

 any other large gathering of population than that grouped 

 in the nearest market town, some of whose inhabitants had 

 never been out of sight of its buildings, or at any rate of the 

 smoke of its chimneys. That they might some day visit the 

 metropolis appeared impossible ; for could it be imagined 

 they would ever undertake a journey attended with so much 

 difficulty, danger, and expense, and involving such a serious 

 waste of time ? Moreover, manufactories, and, as a natural 

 result, manufacturing towns, sprang up near coal-pits ; for it 

 was less expensive to convey the manufactured article to the 

 metropohs or the seaport than to carry thereto the fuel used 

 in its fabrication. 



All this was changed by the introduction of railways. By 

 them communication to and from the interior both for goods 



