Age at first marriage and proportions marrying in Australia, 1860-1971

Abstract

This thesis is a longitudinal, demographic study of first marriage in Australia. It traces the development of marriage patterns in a society from their beginning. Although the European settlement of Australia commenced in 1788, by 1850, the population had risen to only one quarter of a million. After 1850, with the discovery of gold, the population grew rapidly and the children of the immigrants of the 1850's provided the first, large Australian-born generation. Fortunately, detailed and accurate statistics of population, births, deaths and marriages also extend back to the 1850's. Show more