Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population : more than reported

Abstract

A realistic estimate of population data and vital statistics such as births and deaths is essential to understanding the history and relative status of any population over time. Estimating the Aboriginal population of Australia has challenged statisticians for well over 100 years. Estimates of the 1788 population are reviewed, as well as estimates from colonial censuses and the early Yearbooks. The wide variation in contemporary estimates is discussed. More recent improvements in data and data quality are examined, and a plausible scenario for the size of the Aboriginal population over time, based on what we know today, is presented