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Difficulty: Very hardEarly 20th Century Population

When the Commonwealth of Australia was established in 19011901, the first national census recorded a population of approximately 44 million people. While this figure is a foundational statistic for the new nation, it is considered a significant undercount of the actual number of people living on the continent at that time. What was the primary legal reason for this discrepancy in the official 19011901 records?

  1. A specific provision in the original Australian Constitution stated that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were not to be counted in the national population statistics.Answer
  2. B
    The census was legally restricted to individuals of 'free settler' status, intentionally omitting any remaining individuals from the convict era to present a more respectable image of the new Commonwealth.
  3. C
    The newly formed federal government only had the authority to count residents within the six original states, legally excluding all people living in the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.

Answer

The primary legal reason for the discrepancy was a provision in the Australian Constitution that excluded Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from being counted in the national population statistics.
The correct answer identifies that the Australian Constitution contained a specific clause (Section 127127) that prevented Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from being included in the official population count. This resulted in a census figure that significantly underrepresented the actual number of people on the continent by excluding its first inhabitants.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the historical context of the 19011901 Census.
The census recorded approximately 44 million people, mostly of British and Irish heritage.
Understanding the baseline data provided by the early Commonwealth.
2
Analyze why the '44 million' figure is considered an 'undercount'.
Indigenous Australians, who have the oldest continuous culture on the continent, were present but not included in this total.
Recognizing the difference between recorded data and demographic reality.
3
Locate the legal mechanism behind this exclusion.
Section 127127 of the 19011901 Constitution mandated that 'Aboriginal natives shall not be counted' in reckoning the numbers of the people of the Commonwealth.
Pinpointing the specific law that created the statistical gap.

Key Concept

Constitutional Exclusion of Indigenous Australians in 1901

Hints

1
Think about who was traditionally excluded from the 'Australian' identity in the early 19001900 s despite living here for tens of thousands of years.
2
The answer lies in the foundation document of the country—the Constitution—and how it defined who counted as a member of the 'Commonwealth' for statistical purposes.

Practice More

Research the 19671967 Referendum to see how these specific constitutional sections were changed to finally include Indigenous Australians in the census.
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Early 20th Century Population

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