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1966 Australian census
Reference material by Wikipedia contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
First Australian national population census
January 2018
January 2018
Seventh commonwealth census 230px Commonwealth of Australia 1966 06 30 y 1961 Australian census 1961 1971 Australian census 1971 11,550,462 https://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/743B8B3C8751AC6FCA2578800081F7B6/$File/1966%20Census%20-%20Volume%202%20Population%20-%20Related%20Characteristics%20-%20Part%201%20Growth%20and%20Distribution.pdf CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING, 30 JUNE 1966 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PART 1. GROWTH AND DISTRIBUTION 1973 ausstats.abs.gov.au 24 February 2026 9.9% Bureau of Census and Statistics https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/2106.01966?OpenDocument abs.gov.au (1966) state or territory New South Wales (4,233,822) Northern Territory (37,433)
The 1966 Australian census was the seventh national population census held in Australia and was conducted by the Bureau of Census and Statistics. The day used for the census, was taken on 30 June 1966. The total population of the Commonwealth of Australia was counted as 11,550,462 – an increase of 1,042,276 people or 9.92% over the 1961 census. https://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/1B2E556727ECD0D5CA257880008129CD/$File/1966%20Census%20-%20Volume%201%20Population%20-%20Single%20Characteristics%20-%20Part%203%20Birthplace.pdf Census of the Commonwealth of Australia, 1966 Australian Bureau of Statistics 1970 24 February 2026 https://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/743B8B3C8751AC6FCA2578800081F7B6/$File/1966%20Census%20-%20Volume%202%20Population%20-%20Related%20Characteristics%20-%20Part%201%20Growth%20and%20Distribution.pdf CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING, 30 JUNE 1966 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PART 1. GROWTH AND DISTRIBUTION 1973 ausstats.abs.gov.au 24 February 2026
Census results were released under statistician J. P. O'Neill in a series of three publications beginning in April 1967 with a summary of the population. https://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/26E53E16502ACFACCA25788000803BF1/$File/1966%20Census%20-%20Index%20of%20Publications.pdf 1966 CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING PUBLICATIONS issued by the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics ausstats.abs.gov.au 24 February 2026
Topics
Key topics in 1966 included: https://international.ipums.org/international/resources/census_forms/oceania/au1966ef_australia_enumeration_form.en.pdf CENSUS, 30th JUNE, 1966 HOUSEHOLDER'S SCHEDULE 26 February 2026
Age
Marital status
Birthplace
Religion
Race/Origin
Education (highest level of schooling)
Occupation
Industry
Housing details (dwelling type, material, and motor vehicles.)
Location
Population and dwellings
The population counts for Australian states and territories were that New South Wales remains the most populous state, with 4,233,822 people counted, ahead of Victoria (3,219,526) and Queensland (1,663,685).
Australian Capital Territory (ACT) experienced the largest average annual growth rate of any state or territory over the past five years, with an average annual increase of 10.29% while Tasmania had the smallest growth at 1.18% since the 1961 census. https://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/A83D847F9E5319E3CA2578800080A20C/$File/1966%20Census%20-%20Volume%201%20Population%20-%20Single%20Characteristics%20-%20Part%201%20Age.pdf Volume I - POPULATION - Single Characteristics - Part 1 Age 2017 censusdata.abs.gov.au 24 February 2026 Persons count based on place of usual residence on Census night. https://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/743B8B3C8751AC6FCA2578800081F7B6/$File/1966%20Census%20-%20Volume%202%20Population%20-%20Related%20Characteristics%20-%20Part%201%20Growth%20and%20Distribution.pdf CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING, 30 JUNE 1966 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PART 1. GROWTH AND DISTRIBUTION 1973 10 ausstats.abs.gov.au 24 February 2026
States and territories https://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/A83D847F9E5319E3CA2578800080A20C/$File/1966%20Census%20-%20Volume%201%20Population%20-%20Single%20Characteristics%20-%20Part%201%20Age.pdf Volume I - POPULATION - Single Characteristics - Part 1 Age 2017 censusdata.abs.gov.au 24 February 2026 Males Females Total % change since 1961 pxx New South Wales New South Wales 8.1% pxx Victoria Victoria 9.8% pxx Queensland Queensland 9.6% pxx Western Australia Western Australia 12.0% pxx South Australia South Australia 12.2% pxx Tasmania Tasmania 6.0%pxx Australian Capital Territory Australian Capital Territory 63.2% pxx AustraliaNorthern TerritoryThe Northern Territory since 1911 used the Australian National Flag (the Blue Ensign) and did not adopt its own flag until 1978. 33.3% Australia Australia 9.9%
Age
Age 1966 https://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/A83D847F9E5319E3CA2578800080A20C/$File/1966%20Census%20-%20Volume%201%20Population%20-%20Single%20Characteristics%20-%20Part%201%20Age.pdf Volume I - POPULATION - Single Characteristics - Part 1 Age 2017 censusdata.abs.gov.au 24 February 2026 Number 0–4 years 1,143,144 5–9 years 1,162,896 10–14 years 1,086,448 15–19 years 1,048,226 20–24 years 853,941 25–29 years 746,065 30–34 years 687,354 35–39 years 764,562 40–44 years 773,751 45–49 years 677,672 50–54 years 641,634 55–59 years 543,016 60–64 years 435,349 65–69 years 356,396 70–74 years 275,971 75–79 years 196,387 80–84 years 102,864 85–89 years 41,621 90–94 years 10,976 95–99 years 2005 100 and over 184 Total 11,550,462
Single characteristics
Race
At the seventh Australian census in 1966 the population was self-enumeration. In the official sense, the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics, which collected demographic data, defined the term "European" to "cover those ethnic or racial groups (e.g. Caucasian, Slavonic, Celtic, Latin) which have their origins in the countries of Europe while terms such as "Afghan", "Filipino", etc. cover those ethnic groups normally to be found in the countries of Afghanistan and the Philippines, etc.". The 1966 census enumeration of Aboriginals (full-blood) progressively made significant effort for those in contact and out of contact with population centres. https://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/0D49859E95B25D3ACA2578800081EA71/$File/1966%20Census%20-%20Volume%201%20Population%20-%20Single%20Characteristics%20-%20Part%2011%20Race.pdf CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING, 30 JUNE 1966 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA VOLUME 1 POPULATION: SINGLE CHARACTERISTICS PART 11. RACE 11 COMMONWEALTH BUREAU OF CENSUS AND STATISTICS 1971 25 February 2026
Race https://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/0D49859E95B25D3ACA2578800081EA71/$File/1966%20Census%20-%20Volume%201%20Population%20-%20Single%20Characteristics%20-%20Part%2011%20Race.pdf CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING, 30 JUNE 1966 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA VOLUME 1 POPULATION: SINGLE CHARACTERISTICS PART 11. RACE COMMONWEALTH BUREAU OF CENSUS AND STATISTICS 1971 25 February 2026 Population Percent (%) Europeannote Persons of over 50 per cent European race. 11,453,375 98.74 Non-Europeannote Persons of more than 50 per cent of the race specified, or of 50 per cent of the race specified and 50 per cent European. Afghan 89 0.00 Arab, Persian 13210.01 Asiatic Jew 243 0.00 Asiatic 2636 0.02 African 601 0.00 Australian Aboriginalnote The figures in this bulletin relate to those persons who described them-selves in the 1966 Census as being 50 per cent or more Aboriginal or simply as "Aboriginal". https://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/36A1218AE10402D7CA25788100007E35/$File/1966%20Census%20-%20Aboriginal%20Population%20-%20Summary%20of%20Characteristics.pdf#page=3 CENSUS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA 30 JUNE 1966 THE ABORIGINAL POPULATION OF AUSTRALIA COMMONWEALTH BUREAU OF CENSUS AND STATISTICS 26 February 202680,207 0.69 Chinese 26,723 0.23 Sinhalese, Burgher, Tamil 1,679 0.01 Egyptian 425 0.00 Fijian257 0.00 Filipino 765 0.00 Indian, Pakistani 4,411 0.03 Indonesian, Javanese, Timorese, etc. 818 0.00 Japanese 3,573 0.03 Malay 1,749 0.01 Māori 862 0.00 Negro 102 0.00 Pacific Islander 3,005 0.02 Papuan, New Guinean 502 0.00 Siamese, Thailander 562 0.00 Syrian, Lebanese, New Guinean 4,855 0.04 Torres Strait Islander 5,403 0.04 Other and indefinite 523 0.00 Mixed bloodnote Persons of three or more races where no race represents more than 50 per cent or persons of two non-
European races each of which represents 50 per cent. 4,812 0.04 Total non-Europeannote Persons of more than 50 per cent of the race specified, or of 50 per cent of the race specified and 50 per cent European. 146,123 1.26 Grand total 11,599,498 100.0
Religion
Population by religious affiliation according to the 1966 census results.
Religion https://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/34EDA1B4AAD89E16CA2578800081B761/$File/1966%20Census%20-%20Volume%201%20Population%20-%20Single%20Characteristics%20-%20Part%207%20Religion.pdf CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING, 30 JUNE 1966 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PART 7. RELIGION ausstats.abs.gov.au 1970 7 February 2026 1966 census Number Percent (%) Christian 10,205,038 88.35 Church of England 3,877,473 33.57 Presbyterians 1,043,570 9.03 Methodists 1,124,310 9.73 Baptist 165,487 1.43 Congregational 76,588 0.66 Lutheran 177,324 1.53 Church of Christ 102,545 0.88 Orthodox 255,493 2.21 Brethren 15,516 0.13 Salvation Army 56,501 0.48 Seventh-day Adventist 37,617 0.32 Protestant (undefined) 105,223 0.91 Roman Catholic 1,103,969 9.56 Catholic1,932,161 16.73 Other (including Christian undefined) 131,261 1.14Non-Christian 76,383 0.66 Hebrew 63,271 0.54 Others 13,112 0.11 Indefinite 36,050 0.31 No religion 94,091 0.81 No reply 1,138,900 9.86 Grand total 11,550,462 100.0
See also
2026 Australian census
2021 Australian census
2016 Australian census
1911 Australian census
Census in Australia
Notes
note
References
Category:Censuses in Australia
Category:Australian Bureau of Statistics
Category:June 1966 in Australia
Australia