ENG-1968 — Page 341

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POPULATION

A mid-term census was taken in the summer of 1966. The boat people were counted between June 18 and 22 and the remainder of the population between July 19 and August 2. The results showed a 26 per cent reduction in the marine population and a consider- able slowing down of the rate of increase of the land population.

BIRTHS AND DEATHS

The registration of births and deaths is compulsory, and facilities for registration are provided throughout the Colony. The General Register Office is situated at Li Po Chun Chambers, Connaught Road Central, Victoria, where all records of births and deaths are maintained. Sub-registries have been established in all main urban and rural districts, while in outlying areas and islands, births are registered at rural committee offices by visiting district registrars and deaths are registered at local police stations.

The statutory period during which a birth should be registered, and is registered without fee, is 42 days from the date of birth. Between the end of the 42-day period and the expiration of one year from the date of birth, the birth may be registered upon payment of a fee of $2. During the year 82,992 live births and 19,319 deaths were registered, compared with 88,171 and 19,644 respectively in 1967. These figures, when adjusted for under- registration, give a natural increase in population for 1968 of about 64,322. Only 94 illegitimate children were registered without the name of the father in the birth entry.

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A birth which has not been registered within one year after the date of birth may be post-registered with the consent of the Registrar and on payment of a fee of $15. During the year 2,194 such births were post-registered including 839 in the New Territories. The principal reason given for non-registration at the time of birth was simple negligence, but there was a fair number of cases where non-registration was due to the fact that facilities for registration were not available until 1932. There were also several cases relating to births in the war years when there was no registration of births. The New Territories cases are dealt with at local sub-registries or by mobile registration teams. All applica- tions for post-registration are passed to a legal officer in the Registrar General's Department for final approval.