We were all set for it to be at a family friends place next door "Daresbury" but they were in the process of selling, then I went for a walk through Monavale having never been and fell in love with the old homestead and the gardens - always wanted a garden wedding - it was magic.
The dress? Bought while I was in the Sunshine Coast for my 30th birthday. I had my Mum and my sister shopping with me you'll never get a more honest opinion from these two!! I had actually fallen ill with I don't know what!
But that wasn't stopping me dress shopping! I went through about 6 or 7 dresses, as I tried on each one my face got more and more pale. I put on the last dress and knew it was the one.
It was a little big so had to get it taken in back home. There is more to this story! Three months before the wedding I had to ring my dress maker and tell him not to take it in. I was three months pregnant! A little unexpected this was. The bridesmaid dresses? One particular part of the wedding I was super pleased with. I had a vision exactly of the material I wanted, just couldn't find it, tried to explain to a lady in a fabric shop on the Sunshine Coast - she then brought out some material I would have never looked at, as soon as she scrunched it into a dressed shape, I could see the potential.
Mum was never fully convinced until she saw them on the girls and thought they were gorgeous. Shipwrecked persons are excepted. The Act does not apply to officers and crews of any mercantile vessels, provided they are not discharged in New Zealand, and are on board the vessel when she clears outward. There are other exemptions under the Act, including His Majesty's land and sea forces, and the officers and crew of any ship of war of any Government, and certain persons may be specially exempted by the Minister of Internal Affairs.
Heavy penalties may be incurred for breaches of this law. The law of the Commonwealth of Australia, with a view to the restriction of Asiatic immigration, prohibits the landing of any person who, when asked to do so by a public officer, fails to write out from dictation and sign a passage of fifty words in any prescribed language.
An Act having a similar purpose was passed by the Parliament of New Zealand in , requiring that any Chinese proposing to land in the Dominion shall be able to read a printed passage of not less than one hundred words of the English language. This measure became law on the 23rd October, , and is now incorporated in the Immigration Restriction Act, For two years this test was the chief factor of a reduction in the number of alien immigrants, but the third and succeeding years showed totals almost unprecedentedly high.
The figures for were low, and were even exceeded by the departures, while the total for was swelled by the inclusion of soldiers from the French Pacific islands. Of the race aliens arriving in New Zealand, a large proportion are Chinese, most of whom, however, have been formerly resident in the Dominion. Hindus and other natives of India are also of late years arriving in considerable numbers. Since July, , records of departures of race aliens have been kept, and these show that a total of race aliens left the Dominion during , comprising natives of the following countries: China, ; India, 39; Japan, 12; British Pacific islands, 6; Foreign Pacific islands, There are indications that a large proportion of the Hindus arriving in the Dominion are coolies in transit to the Pacific islands, the departures in and totalling as against arrivals.
At the census of , the year in which taxation was first imposed on Chinese landing in New Zealand, the Chinese population numbered 5, persons, which fell to 4, in , and further to 3, in According to the census of the Chinese population was 2,, and in it was 2,, while at the census of the total was 2,, of whom 88 were females.
The decrease still continues, deaths exceeding births, and the departures usually being more than the arrivals, though the records for show a substantial excess of immigration over emigration. When any alien residing in New Zealand desires to be naturalized he may present to the Governor a memorial signed and verified by a statutory declaration setting forth—. The length of his residence in New Zealand, and his desire to settle therein;.
Every memorial must have written upon it or attached to it a certificate signed by some Magistrate or Justice to the effect that the applicant is known to the person certifying and is of good repute.
On taking the oath of allegiance he shall enjoy within New Zealand all the rights and capacities that a natural-born subject of the United Kingdom can enjoy or transmit, excepting such rights if any as are specially excepted in the letters of naturalization granted to him. Any person who has been previously naturalized in the United Kingdom, or any British possession, may obtain letters of naturalization in New Zealand upon presentation of his certificate or letters to the Governor, with satisfactory evidence of his bona fides.
An alien woman married to a natural-born or naturalized British subject shall be deemed to be herself naturalized. Where the father or the mother, being a widow has become naturalized in New Zealand, every child of such father or mother who during minority resides with such parent shall also be deemed to be naturalized. Every alien resident in New Zealand may inherit or otherwise acquire, hold, and dispose of every description of property in the same manner as if he were a natural-born British subject, but may not become the owner of any ship, or of a share in any ship, registered in New Zealand.
Any person born in foreign territory whose mother is a natural-born British subject shall be capable of acquiring property in New Zealand by purchase, or under a will or intestacy. Letters of naturalization have not been granted since the outbreak of war in The number of natives of each country naturalized during the twenty years is shown in the next table.
The table following shows the birthplaces of the population, exclusive of Maoris, for and four preceding census years. The total number of British-born has increased during the period by 63 per cent. Persons born in New Zealand have increased 92 per cent. The Commonwealth of Australia is represented by 50, persons, a large increase since Against this there were 31, persons, natives of New Zealand, residing in the Commonwealth in , as compared with 25, in Persons born in the United Kingdom numbered , in and , in The population of foreign origin shows a small increase since , while the native-born portion becomes rapidly greater.
The next table shows the proportionate strength of the different nationalities represented in the Dominion:—. The number of persons at each year of age is ascertained from the census household schedules. In the following tables these numbers have been condensed in customary groups, and the information disclosed at the census of is compared with that for two previous censuses.
Maoris are not included. A calculation of the proportion per cent. Of the males, those years formed At the ages the proportions were From 65 years upwards the proportions increased from 2. Females at ages increased in proportion to the total from At 45 years and over there was The declining proportions at the earlier ages years may be ascribed to a falling birth-rate, while the increase at the higher ages is due to the advanced age of the then mostly adult immigrants introduced during the early stages of settlement.
These form the greater portion of the groups 60 years and over, numbering 70, persons in , only 3, of these being New-Zealand-born. The latter element in the population is assuming larger proportions each year, while the influence of the numbers recruited from abroad on the age-constitution is gradually waning. The distribution of population at the census of exclusive of Maoris between the North and South Islands is shown according to age-groups in the following table:—.
The following table is interesting as showing the gradual equalization of the sexes, the number of females to 1, males having risen from in to in The proportion was slightly lower in and , but has risen to in , mainly on account of the absence of so many men at the war. In the and issues of this book are given tables and short articles dealing with various characteristics of the population as ascertained at the census of and former censuses—viz.
Lack of space prevents their being given in this issue. The increase in the density of population and dwellings at successive censuses is illustrated in the table following. The average number of persons to an inhabited dwelling is also shown.
The number of persons excluding Maoris to a square mile in each provincial district at the last eight censuses is as follows:—. The density of population in various countries is shown in a table in the issue of this book.
The figures relate in nearly every case to the year , in which year a census was taken throughout the British Empire and in several other countries. Considerations of space prevent the table being repeated in this issue. These contain nearly the whole population of European descent, the Cook and other annexed islands being inhabited almost solely by coloured Natives.
In the North Island had a larger population than the South, this position being reversed at the succeeding enumerations until , in which year the North Island was found to have slightly the larger total, a position which it has since considerably improved upon.
The Maori war which broke out in retarded settlement in the North, while a large area of land reserved for the Maoris was until quite recently a serious hindrance to the development of this portion of the Dominion. The construction of railways, roads, and bridges is now giving access to larger areas of new lands, which are being offered for selection in blocks intended for close settlement, and are quickly occupied. The South Island was practically free from Maori troubles, and settlement was more rapid, though much of the land was disposed of in large.
The discovery of gold in Otago in and on the West Coast in attracted to these localities considerable numbers of miners. In a policy of vigorous construction of railways and other developmental public works and of assistance to immigrants was inaugurated, resulting in a large increase to the population, including nearly ninety thousand Government immigrants introduced between and The population of the two Islands at successive censuses is given in the table following, together with the percentage that each island bears to the total.
Population of the North and South Islands, The figures for are not quite fair to the South Island. The presence of the camps in the North Island has had the further effect of temporarily attracting people from the other island for business purposes, or to be near soldier friends and relatives. The troops abroad on census night 42, in number may be regarded as having come from the two islands in proportions approximately relative to population. The populations of the various provincial districts as disclosed by the census of 15th October, , are as follows:—.
The counties contain what is understood to be the rural population, but this is not strictly correct, as some of the towns not municipalized and forming part of counties have considerable populations. On the other hand, the population of a few of the smaller boroughs might be classed as rural, as will be noticed further on. A list of counties and their populations exclusive of interior boroughs at the census of is given.
Population of Counties on 15th October, The next table shows the distribution of the population in counties and boroughs at each quinquennial census since Prior to the year there was no statutory limitation to the number of inhabitants necessary to constitute a borough, and consequently many small centres, the residents being mainly engaged in rural occupations, became municipalities.
The Municipal Corporations Act now imposes a limit as to area, and provides that no new borough may be constituted unless the proposed area contains at least 1, inhabitants. The name of each borough, with the number of inhabitants as at the census of is given in the next table. Population of Boroughs on 15th October, Each area includes, in addition to the central borough and suburban boroughs, a considerable non-municipalized area adjacent to and contingent on the centre.
An objection to the old system of publishing statistics for the municipal areas only was that these were constantly being extended or otherwise altered, and no proper comparison could be made between one period and another, and no satisfactory record kept of the social condition and progress of the community. The creation of fairly extensive areas fixed for a long period will remove these disabilities. Population figures as at the census of are as follows:—.
The several stages in the growth of a New Zealand town may be marked thus: The village, taxed by the parent county, and dependent upon the latter for all public works; then the legally constituted town district, still subordinate to the county in some matters, its affairs administered by a Board presided over by a Chairman. When its population exceeds the town district may become independent of the county and control the whole of its revenues.
The name of each town district and its population at the census of are as follows:—. Town Districts not forming Parts of Counties. Town Districts forming Parts of Counties. None of the town districts still under county jurisdiction have a population of over Adjacent to the main Islands are many smaller islands, some of which are of considerable area, and are under cultivation; others are but islets used as sites for lighthouses, while others again are barren and unfitted for human habitation.
The Chatham Islands and Great Barrier Island have been constituted counties, and their populations are shown in the list of counties already given. The name and population of each of the inhabited islands as at the census of are shown in the following table:—.
Since the boundaries of New Zealand have been extended to include the Cook and certain other Pacific islands, the population of which is shown elsewhere in this section. A census of the Maori population is taken every five years, the information being obtained by the collectors either directly or through the chief or head of the tribe or hapu. The name, sex, and age, so far as can be ascertained, of each Maori are entered; but, owing to the nomadic habits of the race and lack of definite knowledge in some particulars, it has been a difficult task in the past.
The results of the past six enumerations are as follows:—. The slight decrease in as compared with is more than compensated for by the number of Maoris at the front. The number of half-castes living as members of Maori tribes is given in the next table for six census periods. The number of half-castes living as Europeans at the census of is not yet available, but figures are given for preceding enumerations.
Those under the first heading are already included among Maoris in the preceding table, the others being classed among the European population. It is a matter of some difficulty to ascertain the number of half-castes living as Maoris. There has been no definite rule to guide collectors in deciding when a half-caste should be classified as living as a Maori—indeed, it might be said that all the half-castes and a large proportion of the Maoris in the South Island live in European fashion.
They mostly have separate holdings of land and separate homes, and have adopted the habits of the Europeans. At the census of the old method of enumerating the South Island Maoris was discarded, the same methods and forms being utilized as for the European population. During the year the boundaries of the Dominion were extended to include the Cook Group and certain other of the South Pacific islands.
No record of the population of these islands was then obtainable, but at each subsequent census an account of the number and birthplaces of the inhabitants was taken. The figures for the censuses of , , and , are as follows:—. The Cook Islands have contributed a small native contingent for the front, and the increase in the population shown above is therefore all the more gratifying.
Under this ordinance many registrations were effected, some of births as far back as Compulsory registration did not, however, come into force until The earlier Registration Acts and their amendments provided for very little information being given in the case of births, the register containing merely date and place of birth, name and sex of child, names of father and mother, and occupation of father.
In , however, a new Registration Act was passed, under which information was recorded as to ages and birthplaces of parents. A recent amendment to the Act provides for sexes and ages of previous issue of the marriage being given. The law as to registration of births is now embodied in the Births and Deaths Registration Act, , and the Births and Deaths Registration Amendment Acts, and The provisions generally as to registration are that a birth may be registered within sixty-two days without fee.
After sixty-two days and within six months a birth is registrable only after solemn declaration made before the Registrar by the parent or some person present at birth, and on payment of a late fee of 5s. When six months have elapsed a birth cannot be registered except within a month after conviction of one of the responsible parties for neglect.
But an information for such neglect must be laid within two years of date of birth. Registration of still-births was not compulsory until the 1st March, , on which date the Amendment Act of came into force. The Infant Life Protection Act of provided for notification of births, in addition to registration, the time allowed for notification being seventy-two hours since reduced to forty-eight hours if in a city or borough, and twenty-one days in every other case.
Further information concerning infant-life protection is given in the subsection dealing with deaths. In the successive Registration Acts special provision was made for exemption from the necessity of registration in the case of births and deaths of Maoris, though registration could be effected if desired.
Section 20 of the Births and Deaths Registration Amendment Act, , however, empowered the Governor in Council to make regulations providing for the registration of births and deaths of Maoris either throughout the whole Dominion or in such districts as might be determined. Regulations were made accordingly, and were published in the New Zealand Gazette of the 27th March, , page The number of Registrars of Maori births and deaths in the Dominion is , of these being in the North Island, where the great majority of the Maori population is located.
Every Native settlement of any size is within easy reach of one of these Registrars. Maori registrations are entered in a separate register, and the numbers of births given below do not include those of Maoris, which are dealt with towards the end of this subsection. Section 8 of the Births and Deaths Registration Amendment Act, , contains provision for the registration of adopted children. The Clerk of the Court by which any adoption order is made is required to furnish to the Registrar-General particulars of the order, including the full name and place of birth of the child, as well as the full names and addresses of both the natural and the adopting parents.
If the child's birth has been registered in New Zealand, a note of the adoption order is made on it. In any case a new entry is made on the prescribed form in the register of births. The number of births registered during was 28,, or The number is in excess of that for the year , an increase of 2.
The births registered in a year numbered 19, in , and, after falling to 17, in , have risen to the number first stated above. The number of male children born during was 14,, and of female children 13, The following table shows the number of births registered, the birth-rate calculated on the total population, and comparison with the average rate for taken as There was a steady decrease from until , in which year the lowest rate was recorded.
From there was a fairly regular increase until , when the rate stood at Each of the next three years showed a fall in the rate, which in was only The decline of the birth-rate in New Zealand has been partially compensated for by a decrease in the death-rate.
Nevertheless, the rate of natural increase of population has fallen from The following table shows the fall in all three rates:—.
In spite of the fact that the birth-rate in New Zealand is low compared with other countries, yet so low is the Dominion's death-rate that New Zealand has, so far as is known, the fourth highest rate of natural increase among countries keeping records of births and deaths. The rates of natural increase in various countries are as follows:—. The diagram which follows shows the rates of births and deaths and of natural increase per 1, of mean population each year from to The marriage-rate is also shown.
The birth-rate is seen to have fallen rapidly and continuously from to , and to have reached its limit in the latter year. The diagram is supplemented by another containing curves illustrative of the logarithmic increases in population and in the yearly number of births registered, which is instructive as showing how the latter has failed to keep pace with the former.
The logarithmic graph, of course, shows a much smaller divergence between the two curves than would a diagram representative of the actual figures. That fertility among women in New Zealand has decreased, from whatever causes, further facts will tend to show. Taking the number of married women in New Zealand at what may be considered the child-bearing ages i. In the rate was per 1,, in it had fallen to , in to , in to , and in to ; or, in other words, in one in every three of the married women between the ages specified gave birth to a child, while in the rate was only one in nearly five.
The figures for each census year are given below. Another table is given, showing for a period of thirty years the numbers of married women at quinquennial groups of age belonging to the full term 15 to 45 years, with the proportions that those numbers bear to every married women living at These proportions are found to have diminished appreciably at the earlier ages, and ; but the effect of this lesser number of wives at the earlier ages in reducing the birth-rate would not be serious.
It is, however, undoubtedly a fact that to have a growing proportion of wives at the earlier productive ages is the best position, but it is not the one which obtains at present in New Zealand.
In April, , New Zealand had , children living under the age of five years, an increase of 15,, or Between and the increase was only , or 0. The number of children under one year to the total population at all ages, and the proportion per 1,, according to the results of six censuses, were,—.
Thus, in , with a population of , persons, there were 18, children under one year, against 24, children of that age in , with a population of 1,, persons. The births registered in were 19,, against 25, in The birth-rate fell from Deducting 1,, the number of deaths of children under one year registered in , from 25,, the number of births for that year, leaves 24,, or within of the living children under one year at the time of the last census.
Up to and including all births occurring in the four chief centres were treated as belonging to the centres themselves, and counted in the numbers of births on which the rates for the centres were compiled.
Owing chiefly to the fact that many women living in country districts go to the cities to enter public or private maternity homes, it was found that the birth-rates for the centres were usually well above the rate for the whole Dominion.
For years subsequent to information as to domicile of parents was obtained, and the births allocated accordingly, the result being that many births which in former years would have been included in the municipalized area were excluded, the rates being reduced accordingly. No proper comparison is therefore possible as between and previous years, the apparent decrease in , as compared with , being due not to any actual falling-off in numbers, but to the alteration in system referred to.
The figures for , , , and are, of course, quite comparable with one another. The total number of births registered as belonging to the four chief cities and their suburban boroughs in , was 7,, as against a total of 7, for the previous year The birth-rates last year were,—. By the inclusion of the suburban boroughs the rate is raised slightly in the case of all four centres.
It will be observed that whether inclusive or exclusive of suburbs, Wellington had a rate of nearly one per thousand in excess of the other three centres, the rates for which lie remarkably close together. The birth-rate for the Dominion last year was The rates for five years, to , are given below.
As stated above, however, the year cannot properly be compared with the last four years. For twenty years prior to the New Zealand birth-rate was higher than that of the Australian Commonwealth.
In the Commonwealth rate gained the ascendancy, and this position it held till , in which year occurred the lowest rate in the history of the country. The New Zealand rate had already reached its lowest level in These years marked the starting-point of a moderate rise in the birth-rate of each country.
The prevailing decline recommenced in the Dominion in , with the result that for and subsequent years the rate is lower than that of Australia. The information contained in the following table is extracted from the Seventy-third Annual Report of the Registrar-General for England. The next table shows the declining birth-rate and the marriage-rate in the United Kingdom.
The birth-rates for ten years in Great Britain and Ireland, and certain countries of the European Continent, are also given. The decline is steady and continuous, except in the case of Roumania, where the rate is very high.
An examination of the figures shows that with the exception of one year there has always been a preponderance of males in the number of children born in New Zealand. The proportions are usually shown by stating the number of births of male children to every 1, female births. This number has been as high as 1, in and as low as in But little significance can be attached to any figures prior to , on account of the comparatively small number of births.
The period preceding exhibits violent fluctuations in the proportion of males, which tend to disappear as the total of births grows larger.
The extreme range since has been from 1, male to 1, female births in , to 1, in and 1, in The number of births and their sex-proportion for twenty years are given below. The gradual increase in the proportion of males born is illustrated by taking the average ratios of the ten years in the decennial period indicated. The English Registrar-General's report for contains some interesting figures as to the influence of the war on the sex-proportions in births, and it is seen that the proportion of male to female births in England and Wales is considerably higher in the period commencing in June quarter affected by the war than in preceding years.
In New Zealand, where the numbers dealt with are much smaller and where there is considerable fluctuation in the sex-proportions, there is nothing in the figures for the war period taken as a whole to indicate Nature's supposed influence in restoring the sex-proportions of the population when disturbed by war. Indeed the figures for the first quarter of show an abnormally small excess of male over female births. The figures for England and Wales for each quarter of and , and of New Zealand for the first half of as well, are as shown below.
Index numbers expressing the figures for each quarter as a ratio of the proportions for the period are also given. The sex-proportions of illegitimate births are generally supposed to be more nearly equal than those of legitimate births. Little weight can be given to New Zealand figures by reason of the small numbers represented. The average for the ten years was 1, males to 1, females, or very nearly identical with that for all births, but this figure covers a range of from to 1, The proportion in was only males per 1, females.
There were cases of twin births children and 1 case of triplets registered in The number of children born was 28,; the number of mothers was 28, thus, on an average, one mother in every 87 gave birth to twins, against 91 in , 79 in , and 87 in The number of cases of plural births and the proportion per 1, of the total cases of births during the past five years was,—. The following table shows the sexes in individual cases of twin births, for the last five years:—.
During the five years there were 12 cases of triplets. In 3 cases all the children were males, in 2 cases all were females, in 2 cases there were two males and one female, and in each of the remaining five two of the three children were females. Information as to the relative ages of parents of legitimate children whose births were registered in is shown in the following table:—. Information as to the previous issue of the parents is now required in connection with the registration of births.
Tables are given showing information as to number of previous issue in conjunction with 1 age of mother, and 2 duration of marriage. Age of Mother and Number of Previous Issue. Duration of Marriage and Number of Previous Issue. In these two tables plural births are included, twins counting as only one birth.
Another table is appended, giving in more detail the duration of the marriage in cases where less than one year had elapsed before the birth of the first child. Illegitimate births are also shown.
The births of 1, children males; females were illegitimate: thus 40 in every 1, children registered were born out of wedlock, against 41 in , 46 in , and 42 in The ages of the mothers of the illegitimate children registered during the year are as shown below. It will be seen that of the 1, mothers, or 34 per cent. The proportion of illegitimate births per 1, unmarried women — i. The rates of illegitimacy in Australasia are quoted.
The average rate for New Zealand for the ten years 4. These figures show the proportion of illegitimate births to every births for New Zealand to be fairly steady during the period. As a further comparison the rates of the United Kingdom may be quoted—viz. An important Act was passed in and re-enacted in , intituled the Legitimation Act, which makes provision for the legitimation of children born before marriage on the subsequent intermarriage of their parents.
Under this Act any child born out of wedlock, whose parents afterwards intermarry, is deemed to be legitimized by such marriage on the birth being registered in the manner prescribed by the Act.
For legitimation purposes Registrars must register a birth when called upon to do so by any person claiming to be the father of an illegitimate child; but such person is required to make a solemn declaration that he is the father, and that at the time of the birth there existed no legal impediment to his marriage with the mother of the child.
He has also to produce the evidence of his marriage. It will thus be seen that registration becomes the test of legitimacy. The following is the number of legitimations in each year, and the total to , since the Act came into force:—.
The large increase in the number of legitimation entries in as compared with preceding years is no doubt due entirely to the continued duration of the war and the passing of the Military Service Act.
The prospect of a prolonged absence abroad, and the uncertainty as to whether one will ever return, have naturally caused many a Reservist to make proper provision for his illegitimate issue. The registration of still - births has been made compulsory in New Zealand as from the 1st March, During the ten months ended the 31st December, , still-births were registered; the number for was , for , , and for , Still-births are not included either as births or as deaths in the various numbers and rates shown in this subsection and that relating to deaths.
In the still-births registered in are included 7 cases of twins, 33 cases where one child of twins was still-born, and 3 cases where one child of triplets was still-born. The number of births of Maoris registered during , under the provisions of section 20 of the Births and Deaths Registration Amendment Act, , was 1, males, females.
Only 11 Maori births were registered under the main Act. Regulations under the Cook Islands Act, , providing for compulsory registration of births and deaths in the Cook Islands and Niue from the 1st July, , were gazetted on the 29th June, In the case of a birth a month is allowed in which to furnish the following particulars to a Registrar: the place and date of birth; the Christian name and sex of the child; the names and residence of both father and mother, and also if Natives whether of full blood, or quarter-, half-, or three-quarter caste.
A clause provides for the registering of any birth that took place between the 31st December, , and the 1st July, Particulars required of deaths are much the same as in New Zealand proper, but the onus of registering is thrown on the occupier of the house where the death took place or on any person present at the time of death.
If the deceased in his or her last illness was attended by a medical practitioner a medical certificate must be supplied to the Registrar. Any person conducting a burial or a religious service thereat must notify the nearest Registrar in writing within one week. Duplicates of all entries are kept by the Registrars of the High Court at Rarotonga and Niue respectively. No fees are payable for registration.
According to the report of the Cook Islands Department for , the following are the figures of births which occurred in —. No marriage can be legally solemnized before 8 o'clock in the forenoon or after 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Notice of intended marriage must be given to the Registrar of the district within which the marriage is to be solemnized, and the party giving notice must have resided for three full days in the district. If the parties dwell in different districts, notice must be given to and a certificate obtained from the Registrar of each district.
The system of notice and certificate has obtained in New Zealand since By this system it is ensured not only that marriages are in order, but that no legally solemnized marriage escapes registration. Officiating ministers and Registrars are required to send to the Registrar-General returns of all marriages solemnized; and as the returns come in they are checked off with the entries in the Registrars' lists of notices received and certificates issued.
In case of the non-arrival of a marriage return corresponding to any entry in the list of notices, inquiries are made as to whether solemnization has been effected.
Inquiries are made similarly in respect of any marriage for which return is received, but for which there is no corresponding return of notice and certificate. The marriage of a man with his deceased wife's sister was legalized in New Zealand in the year , and the marriage of a woman with her deceased's husband's brother in Both Acts are retrospective, including in their provisions marriages solemnized before as well as those contracted after the statutes were passed, and declaring all such marriages to be valid, and the issue born thereof to be deemed born in lawful wedlock.
In the following table are shown the numbers and rates in each year since A column is added showing the index number for each year as compared with the average of the five years , taken as The marriage-rate for the period under review shows a general upward tendency, having been above 8 per 1, in each year since and including , with the exception of the year referred to below.
Reference to the diagram on page 65 will show that the marriage-rate was at its lowest in the period to , and that the rate in the early years of registration was considerably in excess of that in even the best of recent years. The marriages for show a decrease of 1, on the figures for the previous year, the number solemnized in being 8,, as against 10, in The rate per 1, of the mean population was 9.
The number solemnized in is the highest yet recorded in any year, and the rate for the year has not been exceeded since The rate for , however, is the lowest since The large number of marriages in included many that in the ordinary course of events would have been celebrated in , but were hastened by the operation of the National Registration Act, and the desire of many men to be shown in the register as married men and to obtain certain anticipated advantages or escape certain obligations.
Again, the constantly lessening proportion of men of marriageable age in the country has had a further effect on the marriage-rate for It will be seen that in each of the years , with the exception of in which Easter fell in March , more marriages were solemnized in the second quarter than in any of the others, the excess of this quarter over the fourth quarter ranging from in to in In , on the contrary, there was an excess of in favour of December quarter in spite of the fact that the figures for June quarter were higher than in any previous year.
The year again shows a substantial excess for June quarter, and, in addition, shows a decidedly low total for December and to a less extent September quarter as compared with the corresponding quarter of previous years. The marriage-rate, measured by the total population, does not show the true position when, as in the case of New Zealand, the age constitution of the people fluctuates considerably. A more satisfactory standard is found in the number of persons of marriageable age, defined as meaning the unmarried and widowed of males aged twenty years and upwards and of females aged fifteen years and upwards.
The rates are given for six census years in the following table. Similar information for is not yet available, but it will undoubtedly be found that the proportion of unmarried men in the population has fallen enormously since A comparison of the marriage-rate for each State of the Australian Commonwealth with New Zealand for the last ten years is given. For the Commonwealth the rate in was 8. The average rate for New Zealand in recent years is higher than the rate for most of the European countries given in the table following.
Marriages per 1, of Mean Population in European Countries. The table which follows gives information as to the conjugal condition of persons married in each of the past ten years, divorced men and women being classed as bachelors and spinsters. The figures for are given herewith in more detail as to conjugal condition of bride and bridegroom immediately prior to the marriage.
Of the persons married in , bridegrooms and 1, brides were under twenty-one years of age. Of the bridegrooms, six were between seventeen and eighteen, while fifteen were between eighteen and nineteen. Of the brides, six were between fifteen and sixteen, and thirty-five between sixteen and seventeen years of age.
A table is given showing relative ages of bridegrooms and brides in groups of years. The following are the proportions of men and women married at each of certain age-periods to every marriages in the years , , and —. The next table, showing similar information concerning bridegrooms during the past five years, gives some indication of the effect of the war on the male population of the age-group 25 to 30, which in recent years has contributed about three-eighths of the total bridegrooms.
In each of the four years, inclusive, this group remained fairly steady between the 37 and 38 per cent. In each of the four groups above age 40 the percentage for the year shows a substantial increase on that of the four preceding years. Percentages of Bridegrooms at Various Age-groups, The decrease in the proportion of men at the ages at which marriages are usually solemnized is still further exemplified in the following statement, giving average age of bridegrooms and brides over a series of years.
The average age of bridegrooms in was seven months more than in or The average age of bridegrooms has remained fairly constant during the period, with a gradual tendency to increase in latter years, but there is a fairly consistent increase in the average age of the brides.
In England the mean age of those whose ages were stated was in the year In the middle of it he had frozen my favourite flavour of jellybeans and some flowers. He said "now that we've broken the ice, do ya wanna go on a date?
It was my 21st birthday and Richard hadn't been able to make it down as he was in the North Island with his family, although he had organised a treasure hunt from afar. I was given an envelope with the first clue and made my way round Queen's Park in Invercargill picking up different gifts and rhyming clues scattered around the park which related to memories. I got to the final clue which had a Starburst suck lollipop and a note saying "it sucks I can't be there on this special day, but flick me a text or call right away".
So I called him up and as I was talking to him on the phone he appeared in front of me and went down on one knee. We both wanted to get married in a church, and St Paul's is a classical white church with beautiful stained-glass windows and an awesome bell tower.
I loved that it was chiffon and a bit different! The bridesmaids' dresses were vintage chiffon in aqua blue which worked well as all my beautiful bridesmaids had bright blue eyes. Our catering was done by Country Manor and we got heaps of good comments about the food.
I personally loved the hot ham carved off the bone, a family favourite! We just loved sharing the whole day with so many of our family and friends.
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