Chapter XXXVI: Appendix: J

CLIMATIC CONTRASTS.

COMPARATIVE VITAL STATISTICS.

Vital statistics are set forth by the various Government Statists of Australia with extreme particularity. But it is not easy to make comparative analyses for the purpose of ascertaining the birth rates, marriage rates, or death rates in the different States of Australia. The birth rates per 1,000 of the population give no accurate bases for comparison. They supply only what the statists call the crude birth rate. The information necessary to ascertain true comparative birth rates involves knowledge of the number of women of the different child-bearing ages in the several States; the proportion of marriages at different ages in each; the number of married women, their ages, and also the number of spinsters. Married women in their teens are more fertile than in their twenties, in their twenties than in their thirties, in their thirties than in their forties. So that to ascertain the true birth rate the comparative number of married or marriageable women in the contrasted countries must be ascertained. For example, if there were 20,000 married women in Queensland between twenty and thirty; and 60,000 married women of the same age in New South Wales; and if the number of births among those 20,000 and 60,000 respectively were ascertained, the true birth rate among women of that age would be obtained. Similar remarks apply to the death rate. The comparison must be made between a given number of men or women of the same ages, and then the true comparative death rate per 1,000 of such persons will be ascertainable, but not otherwise.

It is supposed in many parts of Australia that North Queensland is less salubrious than South Queensland, and that the Southern States are healthier than Queensland as a whole. The crude death rate does not give a basis for this assumption, because there are fewer old people and fewer young children per 1,000 of the population in sparsely peopled areas than in settled districts. The lightest average mortality is among persons between the ages of two and eighteen years; the greatest mortality among children under two years. Information is not procurable showing the number of persons in Queensland in age groups, this information being only obtainable in census years.

The Queensland Government Statistician has furnished the accompanying table, based on the results of the censuses of 1891 and 1901, showing the relative salubrity of different parts of the Commonwealth in those two years for all the States save Western Australia; and it will be noticed that it differentiates also between children north and south of the Tropic of Capricorn in Queensland. These figures are valuable for comparative purposes.

It will be noticed that among children under two years the rate of mortality north of the Tropic of Capricorn in 1891 was 74.85 per 1,000, and in 1901 73.42 per 1,000. South of the tropic the corresponding figures were 70.33 and 64.97 per 1,000 respectively, the difference in favour of the south being 4.52 and 8.45 per 1,000. Of children under five years in the north the mortality was 39.44 and 32.80 respectively; while south of the tropic it was 33.54 and 29.72 respectively. Thus the difference in favour of the south was 5.90 and 3.08 respectively. Above the age of five years the difference between north and south is rather more marked, but the comparison of these, for reasons analogous to those stated above with respect to comparative birth or death rates, is valueless.

If we take the New South Wales figures, we find that as to children under two years the mortality in 1891 was 85.12, and in 1901 72.42 per 1,000. Thus North Queensland compares very favourably with the parent State by 10.27 in 1891, and unfavourably in 1901 by only 1 per 1,000. With South Queensland the comparison shows a difference against New South Wales in 1891 of 14.79 per 1,000, and of 7.45 per 1,000 in 1901. As to children under five years the difference in favour of New South Wales in 1891, as against North Queensland, was only 0.16 per cent., and in 1901 0.43 per 1,000; and as against South Queensland it was 5.74 on the wrong side in 1891, and 2.65 in 1901. It is needless further to analyse the figures, but evidently the only States whose mortality among young children is more favourable than South Queensland are South Australia and Tasmania.

Although these figures are official it may be wise to use them with reservation. The comparatively high mortality north of the Tropic of Capricorn is fully accounted for by the absence of the comforts of life in that newly settled area. In 1901 the mortality beyond the tropic was, for children under five years, almost the same as in New South Wales and Victoria. So that, so far as young children are concerned, we need not fear that the climate of Tropical Queensland will be found unfavourable to the British race.

The death ratio of the population is somewhat higher in the tropics than in the South for each age group mentioned, and consequently of course for persons of all ages; this applies to both the years cited, 1891 and 1901. These years have been selected as, being "Census" years, the numbers at each age can then be definitely determined. The mortality rate for 1901 showed a distinct improvement on that for 1891 in all instances except with persons over five years of age in the South; as regards these the experience for 1901 was fractionally less satisfactory than in 1891.

RETURN SHOWING THE POPULATION, NUMBER OF DEATHS, AND THE RATE OF MORTALITY AT CERTAIN AGES FOR THE YEARS 1891 AND 1901.

----------------------------+----------------------------------------++
| 1891. ||
+--------------+-----------+-------------++
| Census | Number of | Ratio ||
------ | Population. | Deaths. | per 1,000 ||
| | | of the ||
| | | Population. ||
----------------------------+--------------+-----------+-------------++
QUEENSLAND-- | | | ||
| | | ||
NORTH OF THE TROPIC OF | | | ||
CAPRICORN-- | | | ||
| | | ||
Under 2 years | 6,426 | 481 | 74.85 ||
+--------------+-----------+-------------++
Under 5 years | 15,061 | 594 | 39.44 ||
Over 5 years | 93,925 | 1,088 | 11.58 ||
+--------------+-----------+-------------++
All ages | 108,986 | 1,682 | 15.43 ||
|==============|===========|=============||
| | | ||
SOUTH OF THE TROPIC OF | | | ||
CAPRICORN-- | | | ||
| | | ||
Under 2 years | 18,598 | 1,308 | 70.33 ||
+--------------+-----------+-------------++
Under 5 years | 45,264 | 1,518 | 33.54 ||
Over 5 years | 239,468 | 1,970 | 8.23 ||
+--------------+-----------+-------------++
All Ages | 284,732 | 3,488 | 12.25 ||
|==============|===========|=============||
| | | ||
WHOLE STATE-- | | | ||
| | | ||
Under 2 years | 25,024 | 1,789 | 71.49 ||
+--------------+-----------+-------------++
Under 5 years | 60,325 | 2,112 | 35.01 ||
Over 5 years | 333,393 | 3,058 | 9.17 ||
+--------------+-----------+-------------++
All Ages | 393,718 | 5,170 | 13.13 ||
----------------------------+--------------+-----------+-------------++

[cont.]
----------------------------++----------------------------------------
|| 1901.
++--------------+-----------+-------------
|| Census | Number of | Ratio
------ || Population. | Deaths. | per 1,000
|| | | of the
|| | | Population.
----------------------------++--------------+-----------+-------------
QUEENSLAND-- || | |
|| | |
NORTH OF THE TROPIC OF || | |
CAPRICORN-- || | |
|| | |
Under 2 years || 6,933 | 509 | 73.42
++--------------+-----------+-------------
Under 5 years || 17,166 | 563 | 32.80
Over 5 years || 132,466 | 1,448 | 10.93
++--------------+-----------+-------------
All ages || 149,632 | 2,011 | 13.44
||==============|===========|=============
|| | |
SOUTH OF THE TROPIC OF || | |
CAPRICORN-- || | |
|| | |
Under 2 years || 18,454 | 1,199 | 64.97
++--------------+-----------+-------------
Under 5 years || 45,460 | 1,351 | 29.72
Over 5 years || 308,174 | 2,645 | 8.58
++--------------+-----------+-------------
All Ages || 353,634 | 3,996 | 11.30
||==============|===========|=============
|| | |
WHOLE STATE-- || | |
|| | |
Under 2 years || 25,387 | 1,708 | 67.28
++--------------+-----------+-------------
Under 5 years || 62,626 | 1,914 | 30.56
Over 5 years || 440,640 | 4,093 | 9.29
++--------------+-----------+-------------
All Ages || 503,266 | 6,007 | 11.94
----------------------------++--------------+-----------+-------------

NOTE.--Death rates calculated on the estimated mean population of the two years mentioned above and published in the Reports on Vital Statistics were--

1891 12.77
1901 11.88

The utilisation of Census figures in order to quote the age condition at the time is accountable for the slight difference in the total ratio.

RETURN SHOWING THE POPULATION, NUMBER OF DEATHS, AND THE RATE OF MORTALITY AT CERTAIN AGES FOR THE YEARS 1891 AND 1901.--_continued:_

----------------------------+----------------------------------------++
| 1891. ||
+--------------+-----------+-------------++
| Census | Number of | Ratio ||
------ | Population. | Deaths. | per 1,000 ||
| | | of the ||
| | | Population. ||
----------------------------+--------------+-----------+-------------++
NEW SOUTH WALES-- | | | ||
| | | ||
Under 2 years | 66,719 | 5,679 | 85.12 ||
+--------------+-----------+-------------++
Under 5 years | 165,750 | 6,510 | 39.28 ||
Over 5 years | 966,484 | 9,776 | 10.12 ||
+--------------+-----------+-------------++
All ages | 1,132,234 | 16,286 | 14.38 ||
|==============|===========|=============||
| | | ||
VICTORIA-- | | | ||
| | | ||
Under 2 years | 62,102 | 5,822 | 93.75 ||
+--------------+-----------+-------------++
Under 5 years | 148,359 | 6,518 | 43.93 ||
Over 5 years | 982,104 | 12,113 | 12.33 ||
+--------------+-----------+-------------++
All ages | 1,130,463 | 18,631 | 16.48 ||
|==============|===========|=============||
| | | ||
SOUTH AUSTRALIA-- | | | ||
| | | ||
Under 2 years | 17,875 | 1,180 | 66.01 ||
+--------------+-----------+-------------++
Under 5 years | 45,166 | 1,407 | 31.15 ||
Over 5 years | 270,367 | 2,804 | 10.37 ||
+--------------+-----------+-------------++
All ages | 315,533 | 4,211 | 13.35 ||
|==============|===========|=============||
| | | ||
TASMANIA-- | | | ||
| | | ||
Under 2 years | 8,414 | 524 | 62.28 ||
+--------------+-----------+-------------++
Under 5 years | 21,466 | 599 | 27.90 ||
Over 5 years | 125,201 | 1,635 | 13.06 ||
+--------------+-----------+-------------++
All ages | 146,667 | 2,234 | 15.23 ||
|==============|===========|=============||
| | | ||
WESTERN AUSTRALIA-- | | | ||
| | | ||
Under 2 years | ... | ... | ... ||
+--------------+-----------+-------------++
Under 5 years | 6,835 | 293 | 42.87 ||
Over 5 years | 42,947 | 576 | 13.41 ||
+--------------+-----------+-------------++
All ages | 49,782 | 869 | 17.46 ||
----------------------------+--------------+-----------+-------------++

[cont.]
----------------------------++---------------------------------------
|| 1901.
++--------------+-----------+------------
|| Census | Number of | Ratio
------ || Population. | Deaths. | per 1,000
|| | | of the
|| | | Population.
----------------------------++--------------+-----------+------------
NEW SOUTH WALES-- || | |
|| | |
Under 2 years || 64,376 | 4,662 | 72.42
++--------------+-----------+------------
Under 5 years || 159,146 | 5,151 | 32.37
Over 5 years || 1,199,987 | 10,870 | 9.06
++--------------+-----------+------------
All ages || 1,359,133 | 16,021 | 11.79
||==============|===========|============
|| | |
VICTORIA-- || | |
|| | |
Under 2 years || 54,669 | 3,817 | 69.82
++--------------+-----------+------------
Under 5 years || 131,986 | 4,251 | 32.21
Over 5 years || 1,069,355 | 11,653 | 10.90
++--------------+-----------+------------
All ages || 1,201,341 | 15,904 | 13.24
||==============|===========|============
|| | |
SOUTH AUSTRALIA-- || | |
|| | |
Under 2 years || 15,988 | 1,059 | 66.24
++--------------+-----------+------------
Under 5 years || 39,940 | 1,166 | 29.19
Over 5 years || 318,568 | 2,808 | 8.81
++--------------+-----------+------------
All ages || 358,508 | 3,974 | 11.08
||==============|===========|============
|| | |
TASMANIA-- || | |
|| | |
Under 2 years || 8,484 | 492 | 57.99
++--------------+-----------+------------
Under 5 years || 20,865 | 531 | 25.45
Over 5 years || 151,610 | 1,283 | 8.46
++--------------+-----------+------------
All ages || 172,475 | 1,814 | 10.52
||==============|===========|============
|| | |
WESTERN AUSTRALIA-- || | |
|| | |
Under 2 years || 9,303 | 882 | 94.81
++--------------+-----------+------------
Under 5 years || 20,675 | 957 | 46.29
Over 5 years || 163,449 | 1,562 | 9.56
++--------------+-----------+------------
All ages || 184,124 | 2,519 | 13.68
----------------------------++--------------+-----------+------------

RAINFALL AND TEMPERATURE.

The subjoined map shows the curves of equal mean annual rainfall for every 10.0 inches for Australia, compiled from the most recent information:--

The following table shows the relative rainfalls at the six Australian capital cities for the periods set severally against them; also for the ten-year period subsequent to 1896, during which the average precipitation was much below that of the total number of years over which the records extend:--

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ten Years'
Total Average Ten Years' Difference Difference Percentage
Place. Number Rainfall Average between for per Annum
of for all Rainfall. the Two. Ten Years. above or
Years. Years. below
True Mean.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Inches. Inches. Inches. Inches.

Brisbane 57 47.47 39.16 -8.31 83.10 -18 Sydney 67 48.80 44.28 -4.52 45.20 -9 Melbourne 63 26.35 25.50 -0.85 8.50 -3 Perth 31 33.03 32.54 -0.49 4.90 -1 Hobart 66 23.38 22.98 -0.40 4.00 -2 Adelaide 67 20.89 20.53 -0.36 3.60 -2 -----------------------------------------------------------------------

The following table supplies similar information with respect to seventeen representative Queensland stations, from which it will be seen that the mean annual rainfall at Geraldton for twenty-one years was 145.27 inches, and for the ten years subsequent to 1896 135.81 inches. Thus Geraldton is by far the wettest place in the State. The lightest mean rainfall for the same period was at Boulia, which recorded 11.45 inches; and for the ten years, 8.72 inches. The last column of the table shows that the fall for the ten years was under the average at every station mentioned, the shortage at Cooktown having been 28 per cent. each year of the ten. The number of wet days is not supplied, except for the capital cities. The driest part of Australia--that which receives a rainfall of 10.0 inches and under--comprises an area equalling nearly one-third of the Commonwealth, and includes the central Territory of South Australia, the extreme western parts of New South Wales, the south-western parts of Queensland, and the south-eastern, central, and part of the north-western portions of Western Australia. The limits of this dry area are shown by the 10.0-inch isohyetal line:--

------------+------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------
| | | | | |Ten Years'
|Total | Average |Ten Years'|Difference|Difference|Percentage
|Number| Rainfall | Average | between | for |per Annum
Place. |of | for | Rainfall.| the Two. |Ten Years.|above or
|Years.|all Years.| | | | below
| | | | | |True Mean.
------------+------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------
| | Inches. | Inches. | Inches. | Inches. |
| | | | | |
Cooktown | 29 | 68.96 | 49.91 | -19.05 | 190.50 | -28
| | | | | |
Geraldton | 21 | 145.27 | 135.81 | -9.46 | 94.60 | -7
| | | | | |
Brisbane | 57 | 47.47 | 39.16 | -8.31 | 83.10 | -18
| | | | | |
Mackay | 36 | 69.42 | 61.73 | -7.69 | 76.90 | -11
| | | | | |
Maryborough | 36 | 46.58 | 39.49 | -7.09 | 70.90 | -15
| | | | | |
Goondiwindi | 28 | 29.27 | 22.99 | -6.28 | 62.80 | -21
| | | | | |
Tambo | 21 | 22.87 | 18.08 | -4.79 | 47.90 | -21
| | | | | |
Bowen | 36 | 40.40 | 35.62 | -4.78 | 47.80 | -12
| | | | | |
Blackall | 27 | 22.59 | 17.92 | -4.67 | 46.70 | -21
| | | | | |
Charleville | 34 | 19.71 | 15.30 | -4.41 | 44.10 | -22
| | | | | |
Hughenden | 22 | 19.12 | 14.92 | -4.20 | 42.00 | -22
| | | | | |
Thursday | | | | | |
Island | 16 | 68.11 | 63.99 | -4.12 | 41.20 | -6
| | | | | |
Springsure | 30 | 26.25 | 22.54 | -3.71 | 37.10 | -14
| | | | | |
Boulia | 21 | 11.45 | 8.72 | -2.73 | 27.30 | -24
| | | | | |
Thargomindah| 25 | 12.53 | 10.03 | -2.50 | 25.00 | -20
| | | | | |
Cloncurry | 23 | 19.35 | 17.02 | -2.33 | 23.30 | -12
| | | | | |
Normanton | 35 | 37.11 | 35.26 | -1.85 | 18.50 | -5
------------+------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------

The following table shows the distribution of the average rainfall from 10.0 inches and under to over 40.0 inches:--

-----------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
Average Annual | | | | |
Rainfall. | N.S.W. | Victoria. |Queensland.| South |
| | | | Australia.|
-----------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| sqr. mls. | sqr. mls. | sqr. mls. | sqr. mls. |
| | | | |
Under 10 inches | 81,144 | nil | 135,600 | 306,663 |
10-20 " | 116,363 | 36,300 | 255,300 | 57,935 |
20-30 " | 77,910 | 27,900 | 173,400 | 13,908 |
30-40 " | 20,414 | 18,770 | 58,700 | 1,198 |
Over 40 " | 14,541 | 4,914 | 47,500 | 366 |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
Total Area | 310,372 | 87,884 | 670,500 | 380,070 |
-----------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+

[cont.]
-----------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+--------------
Average Annual | | | |
Rainfall. | Northern | Western | Tasmania.| Commonwealth.
| Territory.| Australia.| |
-----------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+--------------
| sqr. mls. | sqr. mls. | sqr. mls. | sqr. mls.
| | | |
Under 10 inches | 6,300 | 408,300 | nil | 938,007
10-20 " | 213,430 | 400,720 | nil | 1,080,048
20-30 " | 96,790 | 113,700 | 11,395 | 515,003
30-40 " | 120,600 | 39,100 | 5,396 | 264,178
Over 40 " | 86,500 | 14,100 | 9,424 | 177,345
+-----------+-----------+-----------+--------------
Total Area | 523,620 | 975,920 | 26,215 | 2,974,581
-----------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+--------------

The comparative rainfalls and temperatures at the respective State capitals, and at Canberra, the embryo Federal capital, are shown in the following table:--

------------+-------+--------------------------------+ | | ANNUAL RAINFALL. | Place. | Height+----------+----------+----------+ | above | | | | | M.S.L.| | | | | | Average. | Highest. | Lowest. | ------------+-------+----------+----------+----------+ | Ft. | Ins. | Ins. | Ins. | | | | | | Perth | 197 | 33.05 | 46.73 | 20.48 | Adelaide | 141 | 20.38 | 30.87 | 13.43 | Brisbane | 137 | 50.00 | 88.23 | 24.11 | Sydney | 144 | 49.35 | 82.81 | 23.01 | Melbourne | 91 | 25.62 | 44.25 | 15.61 | Hobart | 160 | 23.40 | 40.67 | 13.43 | Canberra {| 2,000 |} | | | (District) {| to |} 23.00 | 50.69 | 16.56 | {| 2,900 |} | | | ------------+-------+----------+----------+----------+

[cont.] ------------+-------+----------------------------------------------------- | | TEMPERATURE. Place. | Height+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+-------- | above | Mean | Mean |Highest | Lowest | Average| Average | M.S.L.| Summer.| Winter.| on | on | Hottest| Coldest | | | | Record.| Record.| Month. | Month. ------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+-------- | Ft. | Fahr. | Fahr. | Fahr. | Fahr. | Fahr. | Fahr. | | | | | | | Perth | 197 | 73.9 | 55.6 | 112.0 | 33.6 | 75.1 | 54.6 Adelaide | 141 | 72.3 | 52.0 | 116.3 | 32.2 | 73.3 | 52.5 Brisbane | 137 | 76.0 | 60.0 | 108.9 | 36.1 | 77.3 | 58.0 Sydney | 144 | 70.8 | 53.9 | 108.5 | 35.9 | 71.5 | 52.3 Melbourne | 91 | 64.9 | 49.2 | 111.2 | 27.0 | 66.3 | 47.7 Hobart | 160 | 61.4 | 47.0 | 105.0 | 27.7 | 62.1 | 45.7 Canberra {| 2,000 |} | | | | | (District) {| to |} 69.7 | 45.0 | 109.0 | 16.0 | 72.0 | 42.0 {| 2,900 |} | | | | | ------------+-------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------

The mean humidity at the several capitals is as follows:--Brisbane mean averages, 68.1; highest, 85; lowest, 47. Sydney mean averages, 73, 90, 55. Melbourne mean averages, 72, 76, 67. Adelaide mean averages, 56, 84, 33. Perth mean averages, 63, 83, 45. Hobart mean averages, 72, 76, 67.