Census Act 1855 No 5a (NSW)

No. V.

An Act for tak ing an account of the population

of New South Wales. [27ft July, 1855.]

WH E R E A S of persons wi th in th i s Colony of New South Wales Be it	therefore enacted by H i s Excel lency the Governor of N e w South
Wales w i t h t h e advice and consent of t h e Legislative Council thereof
as fo l lows:—

it is expedient to t ake an account of t he to ta l n u m b e r

1. On or before t h e f i r s t day of February n e x t t h e Commis­

sioners for t h e City of Sydney wi th in t he said City t h e Inspec tor Genera l of Police in t h e Met ropol i tan Police Dis t r ic t exclusive of the sa id City t h e Police Magis t ra tes in t he several Police Dis t r ic ts where the re shall be such officers and in all o ther Police Dis t r ic ts t h e Jus t i ces of t he Peace assembled in P e t t y Sessions a t t h e chief place of P e t t y Sessions wi th in t he same shall and they are hereby required a n d directed to cause general not ices to be affixed on t h e several Churches Chapels Marke t -houses and Cour t Houses and on such other conspicuous places as t hey shall deem proper r equ i r ing every house­ holder employer of servants and propr ie tor or occupier of l and therein to be prepared upon the first day of M a r c h n e x t ensu ing or on t he days immedia te ly subsequent there to to give all such information as is r equ i red by t h e Schedule he r eun to annexed marked A to such persons as shall be appointed in m a n n e r hereinaf ter ment ioned to collect t he same.

to act wi th in such Dis t r ic ts .

2. Provided always t h a t in respect to every Crown L a n d Com­

missioner ' s Distr ic t (if any) or por t ion of such Commissioner 's Dis t r ic t

n o t comprised in any of t h e said Police Dis t r ic ts t h e notices by this A c t requ i red to be affixed as aforesaid m a y and shall be so caused to be affixed by t h e respect ive Commissioners of Crown Lands appointed

3. Prov ided t h a t wi th respect to any por t ion of t he Ter r i to ry

no t included wi th in any one of t h e Police Distr ic ts or Crown	L a n d
Commissioner 's Dis t r ic ts as aforesaid i t shall he lawful for t he	Governor

by Proc lamat ion to he publ ished in t he Government Gazette to declare;

wi th in w h a t Police Dis t r ic t or Crown L a n d Commissioner ' s Dis t r ic t

such por t ion of t he Terr i tory shall for the purposes of th i s Ac t	be
comprised.

4. The said City Commissioners Inspec tor Genera l of Police Commissioners in t h e cases aforesaid shall on or before t h e

Police Magis t ra tes Jus t i ces in P e t t y Sessions and Crown L a n d

fifteenth

day of F e b r u a r y n e x t appoint one or more fit and proper person or persons for each distr ict to collect t he informat ion hereby required a n d the said person or persons shall on t h e said first day of M a r c h n e x t a n d on t h e days immedia te ly subsequen t the re to if one day shall no t be sufficient proceed to t ake an account in wr i t ing of the n u m b e r of persons a t t h a t t ime being wi th in t he l imits of h is or the i r respective dis t r ic ts and inform himself or themselves of t h e several par t iculars specified in t h e said Schedule d is t inguish ing the county or r epu ted county if w i th in t h e Set t led Dis t r ic ts and t h e ci ty town or r epu ted town and if in t he City of Sydney the ward of t h e said city in which each such person shall be or reside and the Crown L a n d Commissioner 's Dis t r ic t if beyond t h e Set t led Dis t r ic ts A n d t h e be t te r to enable such persons to t ake such accounts they are hereby author ized and empowered to ask such quest ions of t he persons res iding or be ing wi th in the i r respective distr icts concerning themselves and the n u m b e r sex

age qual i ty class educat ion rel igion place of b i r t h and t r ade or

cal l ing of t he persons cons t i tu t ing the i r respective families or sojourn­ ing wi th t h e m and all such o ther par t icu lars as shal l be necessary to fill u p t h e said Schedule and every such person refusing or neglec t ing to answer or wilfully g iv ing a false answer to any such quest ion a n d every person in any way wilfully obs t ruc t ing such Collectors in the execut ion of t he duties requ i red of t h e m unde r this Ac t shall for every such refusal or neglect false answer or wilful obs t ruct ion on convict ion before any two Jus t i ces of t h e Peace forfeit and pay a s u m . not exceeding five pounds nor less t h a n forty shil l ings at t h e discretion of

t he Jus t i ces before w h o m	compla in t	shall be made .
5. The Vis i t ing Magis t ra tes of every publ ic gaol (or if there be no Vis i t ing Magis t r a t e	t hen t h e Gaoler or	Keeper of such gaol)

t he Vis i t ing Mag i s t r a t e of Cockatoo I s l and the Super in tenden t of t h e

Stockade at Newcastle t h e Visi t ing Magis t ra tes of t h e L u n a t i c a n d

Inva l id Es t ab l i shmen t a t P a r r a m a t t a t h e Super in tendents of t h e

L u n a t i c Asy lums a t T a r b a n Creek a n d t h e Surgeon-super in tendent

Steward M a t r o n	or o ther officer or person by wha t n a m e soever k n o w n
in charge of any hospi ta l school a sy lum or o ther t h e l ike	es tabl ishment
or ins t i tu t ion shall by v i r tue of such the i r office be deemed to be	per­

sons appoin ted for t a k i n g t h e account requi red by th i s A c t in respect of t he inmates of a n y such gaol s tockade hospi ta l a sy lum school or other es tabl ishment or ins t i tu t ion as aforesaid and they shal l respec­ tively be liable to t he penal t ies to which by th is A c t persons so appointed are subjected for wilful default in t he ins tances the re in specified Provided always t h a t no allowance as is here inaf ter provided shall be made to any such Vis i t ing Magis t r a t e Gaoler Super in tenden t Surgeon Steward M a t r o n or o ther officer or person in charge of any

such es tab l i shment or ins t i tu t ion as aforesaid.

6. The persons so to be appointed as aforesaid shall wi th in four­ teen days after t h e said first day of M a r c h nex t deposit w i t h t h e City

Commissioners Inspec tor Genera l of Police Police Magis t ra tes Jus t i ces

in P e t t y Sessions or Crown L a n d Commissioners respectively in cases

aforesaid

aforesaid t h e several or iginal accounts so t a k e n in wr i t ing and sub­ scribed by t h e m a n d shal l m a k e solemn affirmation in t he form con­ tained in t h e Schedule he reun to annexed m a r k e d B before any Jus t i ce of t he Peace ac t ing in a n d for t h e Ter r i to ry of N e w South Wales or for any p a r t thereof a n d shal l answer al l such quest ions as shall be p u t to t h e m concern ing such accounts by t he said City Commissioners Inspec tor Genera l of Police Police Magis t ra tes Jus t ices or Crown L a n d Commissioners and if any such person shall fail or neglect to t ake such accounts or shall omit t o deposit t he same in m a n n e r hereby requ i red or shall refuse to answer or wilfully give a false answer to any such ques t ion he shall on convict ion forfeit and pay for every such offence a s u m no t exceeding five pounds nor less t h a n forty shil l ings.

7. The said City Commissioners Inspec tor General of Police Police Magis t ra tes Jus t i ces in P e t t y Sessions and Crown L a n d Com­ missioners respectively in cases aforesaid shall as soon after t h e receipt of such original accounts as m a y be; appoint a convenient day for examin ing t h e same at which t h e person so appoin ted as aforesaid shall a t t end to answer all such quest ions as shall be p u t to t h e m touch ing such accounts and the correctness thereof a n d such City Commissioners Inspec to r Genera l of Pol ice Police Magis t ra tes Jus t i ces and Crown L a n d Commissioners respectively shall examine t h e same and cause any defect or inaccuracy which may be discovered the re in to be supplied or corrected so far as m a y be possible such City Com­ missioners Inspec to r General of Police Police Magis t ra te Jus t i ces and Crown L a n d Commissioners respectively shall on or before t he first day of J u n e nex t t r ansmi t to t h e Colonial Secretary t h e said original accounts together w i t h a certificate subscribed by h im or t h e m in the; t e rms set forth in the Schedule h e r e u n t o annexed marked C and if t he said City Commissioners or Inspec to r Genera l of Police or any Police Magis t r a t e Jus t i ce or Crown L a n d Commissioner shall fail or neglect to perform t h e dut ies required in the premises or any of t h e m they or he shal l forfeit and pay the s u m of fifty pounds to be sued for and recovered in t h e Supreme Court .

8. I t shall be lawful for t h e said City Commissioners Inspec to r Genera l of Pol ice Police Magis t ra tes Jus t ices in P e t t y Sessions or Crown L a n d Commissioners as aforesaid to cause a n al lowance for the n u m b e r of days which any such person shal l be ac tual ly employed in t a k i n g such account as aforesaid a t a r a t e not exceeding twen ty

shil l ings a day if employed on foot and no t exceeding twenty-five;

shil l ings a day if employed on horseback to be paid to t h e persons so

to be appointed as aforesaid.

S C H E D U L E S

S C H E D U L E S	R E F E R R E D	TO.
A.

N E W S O U T H W A L E S .

(CENSUS OF THE YEAR 1856.)

Return No.

T H I S paper will bo called for on the 1st March 1856. No fee or reward is to be paid to any

person engaged on the Census. Your attention is particularly called to the 3rd clause of the Act 19 Victoria No. 5 wherein amongst other things it is enacted " That every such " person refusing or neglecting to answer or wilfully giving a false answer to any such " question and every person in any way wilfully obstructing such Collectors in the execution " of the duties required of them under this Act shall for every such refusal or neglect false " answer or wilful obstruction on conviction before any two Justices of the Peace forfeit and " pay a sum not exceeding five pounds nor less than forty shillings."

County
District
Town

Street place alley &c. in a Town

Ward if in Sydney . . .

Place of residence if in the country

Name of householder employer of servants

or person in charge

Questions to be proposed to every householder	Replies to be inserted by the householder if
employers of servants and proprietor or	able to write otherwise by one of the
occupier of land in the Colony by persons	Collectors appointed by the Justices.
appointed by the Justices of the several Towns and Districts respectively to collect the information required by the Act.
1. Is this house built of stone of brick or of

wood ?

2. Is it shingled or slated ?
3. Is it completed ?
4. Is it inhabited ?
5. Be pleased to refer to the form annexed

and according to the particulars therein specified give me a Return of the Inmates of this House on the 1st March 1856 including yourself family servants lodgers and sojourners.

RETURN

RETURN of the several persons in the said House or Establishment

on the 1st of March 1856.

MALES.

EDUCATION.

Usual
Usual

Whether	Religious
Religious

Whether

Where

Where	Business
Business

Married or	Persuasion
Persuasion

Name.	Age.
Age. Married or

Name.

Born.	Occupation or
Occupation or

Born.

Single.	or Church.
or Church. Bead and

Single.

Employment. Write. Bead only. Neither.

Employment.

1

1

FEMALES.

EDUCATION.

Usual
Usual

Whether

Whether	Religious
Religious

Where

Where	Business
Business

Name.	Age.
Age. Married or

Married or	Persuasion
Persuasion

Name.

Born.	Occupation or
Occupation or

Born.

Single.

Single.	or Church.
or Church. Read and

| Employment.	Write.	Read only. Neither
i
i

| Employment.

B.

Form of Affirmation.

I DO hereby solemnly affirm and declare that the accounts numbered from

to	inclusive severally signed and now delivered by me contain a true statement
of the Number and Quality of the Persons residing within the	of
to the best of my knowledge and belief. Made and declared before me at

this	day of	1856.	(Signed)	A.	l i .
J .P .

C.

New South Wales Census of the Year 1856.

Police District (or Crown Land Commissioner District of )

W E or I	the City Commissioners Inspector General of Police
Police Magistrate; (the Justices in Petty Sessions assembled at	)
(	or Commissioner of Crown Lands) do hereby certify and declare that I (or we)

have carefully examined the original accounts numbered from to taken by the Collector (or one of the Collectors) appointed for taking an account of the Population within my (or our) District in pursuance of the Act of the Governor and Council 19 Victoria No. 5 and have caused any defects or inaccuracies therein to be supplied or corrected as far as it was possible and the same are to the best of my (or our) knowledge and belief sub­ stantially correct.

City Commissioner

The day of Inspector General of Police
Police Magistrate

A.D. 1856. o r "

A. B. J . P. &c.
or

Crown Land Commissioner.

No. V I .