Ever since Australia’s inhabitants cleared the land and endured the lash, not even droughts and flooding rains have stymied population growth.
The country’s estimated residential population at June 2001 was up 229,500, or 1.2 per cent, since June 2000 according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures.
This increase is reflected in Western Australia with an annual residential population growth of 26,073 people, bringing the states population to 1,909,751 in 2001.
WA’s growth rate in 2000-01 was 1.4 per cent, significantly lower than the average growth rate of 1.6 per cent for the five years ending 2000-01.
How does Western Australia compare with the other States? New South Wales leads the pack, recording an increase of 70,000 ahead of Victoria, 62,200, and Queensland, 61,000.
ABS statistics for WA local
government areas indicate the Shire of Yalgoo, Land of the
Redder Dirt, recorded the
highest growth rate in 2000-01.
The 7.8 per cent is due to the 28 people who moved to the settlement located in the statistical subdivision of Carnegie.
ABS data, however, fails to show why the population of Yalgoo should increase.
The local government area experiencing the largest increase in population was Wanneroo, with an increase of 3,136 people and the eighth fastest growth rate in the State, at four per cent.
Stirling is the largest LGA in WA, according to population, with 178,380 residents, while Murchison, the smallest, has a population of 141.
ABS residential population statistics are compiled from census materials and do not include overseas visitors or boat people in calculations. The calculations include Australian residents temporarily overseas during the census.
*Stirling is the largest LGA and Murchison the smallest according to population. If for reasons of comparison Stirling was represented by an elephant, Murchison would appear as a small onion.
