544 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION F. 



increase in the proportions which the populations of the 

 serenil Anstrahan capital cities bear to the populations of the 

 respective colonies ; and this is especially observable in the 

 case of Melbourne, the population of which, to the total 

 population of Victoria, was in the proportion of 26 per cent.* 

 in 1861, 29 per cent, in 1871, 33 per cent, in 1881, and 

 43 per cent, in 1891. I am not able to go so far back in the 

 case of the other capital cities; but in Sydney the population 

 rose from 30 per cent, of that of the whole of ^ew South 

 Wales in 1881 to 34 per cent, in 1891. In the same decade 

 the population of Adelaide rose fi-om 37 per cent, to 42 per 

 cent, of that of the whole of South Australia ; and in the 

 5 years ended with 1891 the population of Brisbane rose 

 from 22 per cent, to 23 per cent, of that of the whole of 

 Queensland. 



The increases which have occurred point to the probability 

 that v/hen the census of 2001 is taken, half the population of 

 Victoria, and perhaps also half that of South A ustralia, and 

 40 per cent, of that of New South Wales, will be found to 

 be living within the metropolitan limits. That so large a 

 proportion of the population of a country should be congre- 

 gated in its capital city is, so far as I know, a circumstance 

 quite unprecedented ; and, for that reason, no previous 

 experience can afford an indication of what the effect may 

 probably be. 



We may, however, speculate as to whether it will be for 

 good or for evil. 1 am inclined to think there is a considerable 

 preponderance in favour of the former. 



It is surely an advantage that there should be in a country 

 one grand centre — the seat of its Government as also of its 

 commerce and manufacturing industry — the point from which 

 all roads, railways, and other means of communication with 

 the interior diverge, conveying thereto the articles which are 

 necessary to satisfy the requirements of the mining, agri- 

 cultural, pastoral, and other 'country populations, as well as 

 the point towards which such means of communication 

 converge, bringing back to town the productions of the 

 interior for manufacture, use, and export. 



The evil arising from there being several small or medium- 

 sized centres of population instead of one large centre is 

 shown in the case of New Zealand, which, in consequence 

 of its divided and insular formation, has necessarily a number 

 of towns situated at various parts of its sea-coast, with 

 railways branching off from each town. That New Zealand 



