Immigration into New Zealand 1900 to 1915

Abstract

Unfortunately no separate check of immigrants as such was kept in New Zealand prior to 1921. Before this the number of immigrants for any one year was estimated by subtracting the total number of departures from the Dominion from the total number of arrivals; the excess of arrivals so obtained was designated as immigration. Some indication of either the origin or destination of all travellers was obtained by placing them in three categories - first those travelling to or from the United Kingdom, secondly to or from Australia, and finally, all other places. From 1900 to 1915 there were 84,497 immigrants from the United Kingdom, 39,968 from Australia, while to all other places there was a net loss of 3,736 - that is, an excess of departures over arrivals. Thus, during this period the Dominion gained by total immigration to the extent of 120,729. The number of immigrants for any one year estimated by this method, is not absolutely accurate; a small number of permanent emigrants are each year included in the total departures and have been subtracted from the total arrivals. The number of true immigrants will therefore be slightly greater than the excess of arrivals over departures. Furthermore, unless those individuals leaving the country only temporarily have completed their trip within the annual period they are designated emigrants for the year of the outward journey and debited against the total arrivals; upon their return the following year they are included in the total arrivals and thus increase the number of immigrants. Fortunately, the number of permanent emigrants from New Zealand and those temporary departures whose journey extended over more than one year is relatively small between 1900 and 1915; the variation between the excess of arrivals over departures and the actual number of immigrants for any one year, should not amount to more than one hundred or so. Over a period of years these small errors are, to a large extent, eliminated and the excess of arrivals over departures for some years is a quite reliable estimate of the actual amount of immigration over these years.