Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/651

 AREA AND POPULATION

303

Governor. — The Right Hon. Yiscount Gormanston, K.C.M.G. Assumed office August 1893.

The Governor is, by virtue of his office, commander-in-chief of the troops in the colony ; he has a salary of 3, 500Z. per annum. He is aided in the exercise of the executive by a cabinet of responsible ministers, consisting of six members, as follows : —

Premier and Treasurer. — Right Hon. Sir E. N. C. Braddon, K.C.M.G.

Chief Secretary. — Hon. W. Moore.

Attorney-Oeneral. — Hon. D. C. Urquhart.

Minister without Portfolio. — Hon. Thos. Reibey.

Minister of Lands and Works. — Hon. A. T. Pillinger.

Each of the ministers, with the exception of the Premier, has a salary ot 750^. per annum. The ministers must have a seat in either of the two Houses.

Area and Population.

The first penal settlement was formed in Tasmania in 1804 ; and till 1813 it was merely a place of transportation from Great Britain and from New South Wales, of which colony it was a dependency until 1825. Transportation ceased in 1853.

The area of the colony, with Macquarie (170 square miles), is estimated at 26,385 square miles or about 16,886,000 acres, of which 15,571,500 acres form the area of Tasmania Proper, the rest constituting that of a number of small islands, in two main groups, the north-east and north-west. The colony is divided into eighteen counties.

According to Census Returns the population has increased as follows :—

—

Population.

Increase per Ct. per Annum.

1

___ Population.

Increase per Ct. per Annum.

1841 1851 1861

50,216 70,130 89,977

3 96 2-83 1

1871 99,328 1881 I 115,705 1891 146,667

1-15 1-43 3-84

At the census of 1891 there were 77,560 males and 69,107 females. On the basis of this population, the average density is 5 "6 persons to a square mile. Of the total population in 1891, 107,901 were natives of Tasmania, 26,975 natives of the United Kingdom, 7,328 natives of other Australasian colonies, 943 Chinese, 918 German. In 1891 there were 22,313 males and 21,399 females married, 52,195 males and 43,736 females unmarried, 2,423 males and 3,945 females widowed, 25 males and 6 females divorced, and 604 males and 21 females unspecified. The aborigines of Tasmania are entirely extinct.

Of the population in 1891, 3,918 were returned as professional ; 7,180 domestic; 9,593 commercial; 16,016 industrial; 23,568 primary producers ; 1,136 indefinite ; 85,256 dependants