Australian States Population Stats

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https://www.abs.gov.au /AUSSTATS/ TABLE 1.1. Population by sex, states and territories, 31 December 1788 onwards - 23 May 2014

Estimates in 2024 based on www.abs.gov.au and www.population.net.au

• NSW population in 1825 was 38,000 residents, with most still living in Sydney.
   
  • in 1836 it was 77,000 residents with as many as 14,000 children under 12 years of age.
    Convict transportation ceased in 1840.
  • in 1880 population was 750,000,
  • in 1887 1 million,
  • in 1919 2 million,
  • in 1947 3 million,
  • in 1962 4 million,
  • in 1977 5 million,
  • in 1994 6 million,
  • in 2009 7 million, and
  • currently in 2024 8.4 million with an estimated 6½ million living in greater Sydney.
    Newcastle, its second biggest city, has an estimated population of 475,000.

   

• Victoria's population in 1851 when it separated from NSW was 97,000 residents.

  With the gold rush, the population doubled the following year.
   

  • in 1859 500,000,
  • in 1880 850,000,
  • in 1887 1 million but growth was now slowing,
  • in 1945 2 million,
  • in 1962 3 million,
  • in 1982 4 million,
  • in 2005 5 million and
  • currently in 2024 6.8 million with an estimated 5.8 million living in greater Melbourne.
    Geelong, its second biggest city, has an estimated population of 207,000.

   

• * Queensland's population in 1859 when it received self-government and its own immigration rules was 24,000 with one quarter living in Brisbane,
   
  • in 1868 100,000,
  • in 1901 500,000.
  • in 1938 1 million,
  • in 1974 2 million,
  • in 1992 3 million,
  • in 2006 4 million, and
  • currently in 2024 5.5 million with an estimated 2.5 million living in greater Brisbane (which includes the cities of Ipswich and Logan).
    Gold Coast, its second biggest city, has an estimated population of 690,000.

   

• South Australia's immigration policy as a free province started with 3,000 in 1837,
   
  • 6,000 in 1838,
  • 50,000 in 1849,
  • 100,000 in 1856,
  • 200,000 in 1874,
  • 300,000 in 1883,
  • 400,000 in 1910,
  • 500,000 in 1921,
  • 1 million in 1963, and
  • currently in 2024 1.8 million with an estimated 1.5 million living in greater Adelaide.
    Mount Gambier, its second biggest city, has an estimated population of 28,000.

   

• West Australia had slow growth. In 1851 it was 7,000,
   
  • 20,000 in 1864,
  • 50,000 in 1891 when it received self-government and its own immigration policy,
  • 100,000 in 1895,
  • 200,000 in 1902,
  • 300,000 in 1912,
  • 400,000 in 1928,
  • 500,000 in 1947,
  • 1 million in 1970,
  • 2 million in 2005, and
  • currently in 2024 3 million with an estimated 2.7 million living in greater Perth (which includes the city of Mandurah).
    Bunbury, its second biggest city, has an estimated population of 90,000.

   

• Tasmania is our smallest state. In 1825 it was 14,000 when it became an independent convict colony. Transportation ceased in 1852.
   
  • 77,000 in 1856 when it received self-government,
  • 100,000 in 1870,
  • 200,000 in 1918,
  • 300,000 in 1951,
  • 400,000 in 1972,
  • 500,000 in 2008, and
  • currently in 2024 573,000 with an estimated 270,000 living in greater Hobart.
    Launceston, its second biggest city, has an estimated population of 66,000.

   

• Northern Territory's earliest census in 1911 showed just 3,000 white residents,
   
  • in 1943 10,000,
  • in 1957 20,000,
  • in 1961 25,000, then
  • in 1962 with the inclusion of indigenous residents, its population became 45,000,
  • in 1970 80,000,
  • in 1985 150,000, and
  • currently in 2024 252,000 with an estimated 170,000 living in greater Darwin.
    Alice Springs, its second biggest city, has an estimated population of 33,000.

   

• Lastly the Australian Capital Territory (Canberra)'s earliest census in 1911 showed 2,000 residents. Parliament House opened in 1927, but growth was slow.
   
  • in 1936 10,000,
  • in 1949 20,000,
  • in 1960 50,000,
  • in 1967 100,000,
  • in 1975 200,000, and
  • currently in 2024 469,000.

* Queensland breakdown of cities 1901-1996

1901 City Country Total
1933 City Country Total
1981 City Country Total
1991 City Country Total
1996 City Country Total
2018 City Country Total

2021 census (Click here for Wikipedia breakdown) of Significant Urban Areas. Click here for Islands.

• Brisbane * GCCSA 2,526,238 see below
• Bundaberg 73,747 declared the City of Bundaberg in 1913.
• Cairns 153,425 declared the City of Cairns in 1923.
• Caloundra/Sunshine Coast **382,903 see below
• Charters Towers 8,040 became the municipality of Charters Towers in 1877 after gold was discovered at Towers Hill on Christmas Eve 1871.
• .
• Fraser Coast Region 250 km north of Brisbane, formed in 2008 to include the twin cities of
  • Maryborough 27,489 declared the City of Maryborough in 1905.
  • Hervey Bay 57,722 declared the City of Hervey Bay in 1984. Previously the Shire of Hervey Bay from 1975, and earlier the Shire of Burrum. Plus
  • Fraser Island (pop 150) also officially known as K'gari since 2021.
• .
• Gladstone-Tannum Sands 45,185 is a region based in the City of Gladstone, established as a municipality in 1863.
• Gold Coast 693,596 declared City of Gold Coast in 1959 with its Council seat in Surfers Paradise. Known as the Town of South Coast after 1948, amalgamating Townships Southport (1918), Coolangatta (1914) and coastal sections of the Shire of Nerang around Burleigh Heads creating a narrow coastal strip.
  Includes South Stradbroke Island (pop 140).
• Gympie 22,424 declared the City of Gympie in 1905, 150km on M1 north of Aspley, 190km by bus via Noosa.
• .
• Mackay 84,333 declared the City of Mackay in 1918.
• Mount Isa 18,317 declared the City of Mount Isa in 1963, shifting from a shire based in Camooweal, 169 kms north-west of the city.
• .
• Rockhampton 79,293 declared the City of Rockhampton in 1902.
• Toowoomba 142,163 declared the City of Toowoomba in 1904.
• Townsville 179,011 declared the City of Townsville in 1902. Includes Magnetic Island (pop 2400).
• Warwick 15,525 declared the City of Warwick in 1936.

  Other Urban areas with more than 10,000 residents in 2021

• Yeppoon 20,244 Admin Shire of Livingstone, split from North Rockhampton in 1903, based in Yeppoon.
• Airlie Beach / Proserpine 14,523 Admin Shire for the Whitsunday Island Region, split from Bowen in 1910, based in Proserpine.
• Emerald 14,089 Admin Shire of Emerald formed in 1903, initially a base for the railway line from Rockhampton in 1879.
• Kingaroy 10,545 After the arrival of the railway in 1904, the Shire of Kingaroy was proclaimed in 1912.

* Brisbane GCCSA Greater Capital City Statistical Area. Since 1971, Greater Brisbane has steadily stretched to a distance of 200 kms that now includes Brisbane north to Caboolture and Kilcoy, west to Laidley and Esk, south to Boonah, Beaudesert and Beenleigh, but excluding the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.

1. Brisbane City 1.23 million (merged as a "super council" in 1925 from Eight Mile Plains in the south to Aspley in the north. Includes Moreton Island (pop 180).)
2. City of Moreton Bay 460 thousand (formed in the north in 2023, known as Moreton Bay Region after 2008 and originally Shire of Pine Rivers based in Strathpine, City of Redcliffe, and Shire of Caboolture. Includes Bribie Island (pop 18,000).)
3. Redland City 160 thousand formed in the east in 2008, based in Cleveland.
   Islands include North Stradbroke (pop 2000), Coochiemudlo (pop 850), Macleay (pop 3000), Karragarra (pop 240) and Russell (pop 3700).
4. Logan City 320 thousand formed in the south in 1981, initially based in Woodridge
5. City of Ipswich 210 thousand based in the west named a municipality in 1860 and a city in 1904
6. Somerset 25 thousand formed in 2008 in the west-north-west, merging the shires of Kilcoy and Esk formed in 1879
7. Lockyer Valley 40 thousand in the west-south-west with its council seat based in Gatton, also incorporating Laidley, both settled in the 1860s
8. Finally Scenic Rim 40 thousand formed in 2008 in the south-south-west to the border, merging the Shires of Boonah and Beaudesert. Beaudesert was Admin for the Tabragalba Division in 1879, renamed to Beaudesert Shire in 1903.

** In 2008 the City of Caloundra (named as a city in 1987, previously the Shire of Landsborough) merged with the Shire of Maroochy based in Nambour (90kms on the M1 north of Aspley and named as a settlement in 1890) to form the Sunshine Coast region.

The Shire of Noosa named a shire in 1910 with its council based in Tewantin was temporarily part of this amalgamation. Following a referendum in 2014, the shire having its main business area today in Noosaville, and its developed retail area in Noosa Heads was re-established. Its population of 56,000 is however included in the above Sunshine Coast figure of 382,000.

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