Historical statistics
Colonial period 1788 to 1900
The major official sources of Australian colonial statistics are available on microform as part of the ABS Colonial Microfiche collection. The Colonial Microfiche collection is available in the Newspaper and Microform Reading Room and in some State Library collections.
Colonial microfiche covers (among other subjects):
- Aboriginal Australians
- Agriculture
- Birthplace
- Census records
- Domestic conditions
- Immigration
- Law and crime
- Occupations
- Population
When requesting access, you can first consult the Catalogue of Australian Statistical Publications 1804 to 1901 to see exactly what is available on the microfiche. You can also download the catalogue from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) website.
A Statistical Account of the Seven Colonies of Australasia by T.A. Coghlan is also included in the Colonial Microfiche, and is available for download on the ABS website.
From 1901
The Historical microfiche series contains publications released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) since 1901 and publications issued by the State offices since 1984. An index to the microfiche series is also available.
Some titles from the series have been digitised and are available online at the ABS website
Useful titles, by State:
- Year book, Australia; from 1901.
- Australian Capital Territory Statistical Summary; 1963 - 1992. The 1963 volume contains retrospective statistics to 1911
- Australian Capital Territory in Focus; from 1993
- New South Wales Year Book; from 1904
- Northern Territory Statistical Summary; 1960-1991
- Northern Territory in Focus; from 1992
- Statistics of the State of Queensland; from 1901
- Queensland Year Book; from 1937
- South Australian Statistical register (includes pre-1911 Northern Territory statistics); from 1875
- South Australian Year book; from 1966
- Statistics of Tasmania; from 1902
- Tasmanian Year Book; from 1967
- Victorian Year Book; from 1873
- Statistical Register of Western Australia; from 1896
Many of these publications are available online on the ABS website.
Case study - Prices in 1970
I am compiling a book for my 40th Class Reunion and would like to include some statistics on the price of food, houses, cars, fuel in Queensland in 1969-70 and the wages and salaries of both male and female workers in those years. Can you help me find this information?
We will need to consult different sources to find historical prices and wages:
- Queensland statistics, monthly summary / Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics, Queensland Office This publication shows the Average weekly earnings of employees (male and female).
- We can also find average weekly earnings nationwide online at the Australian Bureau of Statistics, going back to 1967. Select the 'Past and Future Releases' tab.
Queensland Shopkeeper journal includes price lists in different categories. There are different prices for many products in both metropolitan and country areas. There are also wage rates for shop assistants, caterers, and cafe and restaurant employees and clerks
Some examples, from July 1970:
- Heinz baked beans; 13c for 8oz tin
- Butter (salted) 55c per 1lb.
- Bread, white, sliced and wrapped 23c per 21b. loaf (Brisbane)
- Retail prices / Bureau of Census and Statistics, Brisbane (only 1970-1971 available). We can also check availability of this and similar items at Australian libraries with a search on Trove.
- We may also be able to find information from newspapers of the time, as advertisements will often display prices. The National Library and State Libraries have archived newspapers on microfilm, e.g. The Courier-Mail
The Australian Bureau of Statistics Year Books also have some information on prices around Australia, although these may not be for specific items. For 1970 we can try these downloads:
- 1301.0 - Chapter 9 - Housing and Building: gives the value of new buildings approved, commenced, completed and under construction, as well as other relevant information.
- 1301.0 - Chapter 10 - Labour, Wages and Prices: shows weekly wage rates by industry groups.
Featured resource
Wray Vamplew, (1987), Australians, historical statistics / editor, Wray Vamplew. Broadway, N.S.W., Australia : Fairfax, Syme & Weldon Associates, nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1781123
One of a series published to mark the bicentenary of Australia.
Includes historical statistics on:
- People and Land
- Wealth and Progress
- Society, Politics and Religion
How to find historical statistics in the Library
Start with the Catalogue using keywords for your topic.
Examples:
- Australian historical statistics
- Prices Australia statistics
- Cost and standard of living Australia
- Demographic surveys Australia
Use the right column on the results page to narrow your search, for example by decade, publisher or Australian state.
Selected works:
- Checklist of nineteenth century Australian colonial statistical sources : censuses, blue books and statistical registers
- Official Year Book of New South Wales, 1904/5 to 1979
- Queensland Year Book, 1937 to 2001
- Housing Prices in Australia : 1970 to 2003
- Australia in facts and figures, 1945-1973
What you can find online
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has full-text publications from 1994 onwards. The ABS Historical Publications web page includes useful links to other online resources.
The ABS 2001 Yearbook Australia (Centenary of Federation) contains articles with summary historical statistics on a range of topics such as education, health and trade.
The Historical Census and Colonial Data Archive (HCCD) is a searchable archive of Australian Colonial census publications and reports.
Related links
- What it used to cost
Historical statistics for Victoria, from the State Library of Victoria - Prices in Australia at the beginning and end of the 20th Century
A brief look at how the relative prices of many of today's common items have changed since Federation, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics - Reserve Bank of Australia Inflation Calculator
A tool to calculate the change in the cost of purchasing a representative 'basket of goods and services' over a period of time - Screen Australia: Industry Statistics
Explore comprehensive statistics on the production and release of feature films, T.V. drama, documentaries and other screen content in Australia
Other historical sources
You might consider some non-official sources when looking for historical statistics, for example:
- newspaper estimates (e.g. crowd sizes)
- charitable institution figures
- public opinion polls
Try searching the digitised newspapers at Trove for some of these figures. They will not be as reliable as official statistics, but may be useful.
In this guide
National Capital Development Commission, Sketch of the National Library of Australia, 1962, nla.obj-150872437
George Knibbs & Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics (Australia), The first Commonwealth census, 3rd April, 1911 : notes, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-52795086
David Dale, (2010), The little book of Australia / David Dale. Crows Nest, N.S.W. : Allen & Unwin, nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn4737717
Ontario. Parliament & Sydney Intercolonial Exhibition (1877 : Sydney, N.S.W.). (1877). The Province of Ontario as it is : containing manufacturing, commercial, statistical and other valuable information. Toronto, Ontario : Legislature of the Province of Ontario nla.gov.au/nla.obj-33590540
[Australian Capital Territory including Canberra : geographic ephemera collected by the National Library of Australia], nla.gov.au/nla.obj-36052758