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1851 New Zealand census


First census of the Colony of New Zealand
1 November 1851 (1851-11-01)
1851 census "Blue Book" statistics for "New Munster" (South Island).
Crown colony of New Zealand
26,707
Auckland (9,430)
New Plymouth (1,532)

The 1851 colony of New Zealand census was the first national population census held in the Crown colony of New Zealand. The day used for the census was Saturday 1 November 1851. The enumeration was left to the governments of New Ulster and New Munster, the two provinces into which the country was then divided and was ordered by the Census Ordinance of 1851. The census, which only surveyed European New Zealanders, revealed a population of 26,707.

General census of 1851

  • December 1851. (Reports appeared in Auckland Provincial Government Gazettes, 1853 and 1854.)

The Blue Books were statistical information from New Zealand's early Colonial period (1840–1855). They have information about population, revenue, military, trade, shipping, public works, legislation, civil servants, foreign consuls, land transactions, churches, schools, and prisons.

Map of New Zealand settlements (1857)

New Ulster & New Munster (1848 onwards).

Population counts for the New Zealand districts. The original six were Auckland, New Plymouth, Wellington, Nelson, Canterbury, and Otago, though in 1858 New Plymouth was renamed Taranaki.

Population of New Zealand colony in 1851.

BirthplacePopulationPercentage
England13,48550.5
Scotland12.7
Ireland16.5
Wales0.4
Totals, British Isles84.4
Other3.3

Members of Christian denominations formed 93.35 per cent. of those who made answer to the inquiry at the census; non-Christian sects were 0.24 per cent.; whilst "other" religions constituted 6.41 per cent.

Denomination1851 Census
Christian24,93093.35
Church of England14,17953.09
Presbyterians4,12415.44
Methodists2,75510.31
Baptist4001.50
Totals, Protestants21,45880.34
Roman; Catholic3,47213.00
Jews650.24
Other specified religions1,7126.41

Showing the numbers of livestock in the possession of Europeans in the several settlements in 1851.

SettlementHorsesMules and AssesHorned CattleSheepGoatsPigs
Auckland1,0351110,94311,0752,6045,679
New Plymouth68-1,3952,700831,165
Wellington (incl Hawkes Bay)7882811,40764,0092,6543,135
Nelson532135,83892,0145,8422,609
Canterbury22472,04328,4163561,255
Otago24313,16134,8295822,371
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