Australia’s Unique Human Characteristics.

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Australias Unique Human Characteristics.
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Students learn about Human characteristics that
make Australia unique

• demographic characteristics
• age structure
• distribution
• ethnic composition
• Gender
• growth rates
• population size

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Students learn to

• describe past and current population patterns in
  Australia
• describe trends in Australias demographic
  characteristics, incorporating the use of graphs
  and statistics
• explain how Australias changing demographic
  characteristics are influencing the nature and
  identity of Australian society

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Australias population

• Demography is the study of the characteristics of
  populations. It analyses
• population size
• population composition
• population growth
• population distribution
• population density
• sex structure
• age structure
• all other vital statistics related to the
  characteristics of a particular population.

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Australian population size

• http//www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs40.nsf/94713ad4
  45ff1425ca25682000192af2/1647509ef7e25faaca2568a90
  0154b63?OpenDocument

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Population increase

• Australias population is currently growing at
  its fastest rate in almost 20 yrs with the most
  recent increase of 1.5 or 318,500 people to
  September 2007
• Net migration for last year 2008 was 213,000.
• But skilled migration has been cut in 2009 from
  133,000 to 115,000
• Every 3 years Australia is approximately adding 1
  million to its population
• 2008 320,000 was added to the population (a
  combination of natural increase and immigration)

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Outline how each component of Australias
population has changed over time Refer to the
graph below
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Answer

• (i) natural increase
• Natural increase was highest in the early 1900s.
  
• Dropped sharply with WWI and was also low during
  the Great Depression and WWII
• Increased after WWII (Baby Boomers)
• Has been declining since the 1970s

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Answer

• migration
• Increased sharply from 1905 but fell sharply with
  WWI and was also low during the Great Depression
  and WWII
• Rapid increase post WWII
• Has continued to remain an important component
  (with some fluctuations in recent decades).

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Population Distribution Density

• This figure shows the uneven distribution of the
  Australian population.
• 80 of people live in a narrow coastal strip
  stretching from Brisbane to Adelaide.
• This represents only 3 of the continents land
  area.

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• A zone of moderate population density stretches
  from the Darling Downs in Southern Queensland
  through the central west of NSW and across to
  Victoria.
• The remaining 81 of the continent contains just
  3 of the population.

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• Each of these zones is associated with different
  land uses.
• The closely settled coastal strip contains almost
  all the major urban centres and most of the
  large-scale industry and business.
• The moderately settled zone is dominated by
  agriculture and some small-scale industry.
• The sparsely settled zone is dominated by
  extensive grazing and scattered mining
  activities.
• Australias population density (that is the
  number of people per square kilometre) is 2
  people per square kilometre.

• This is the lowest of any of the continents,
  except for Antarctica.

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• The distribution of Australias population is
  undergoing change.
• The most important of these changes are

The proportion of the population living in rural
areas is declining. As a result many small rural
communities are struggling to survive.
The proportion of people living in the Northern
Territory, WA QLD has increased, while the
proportion living in NSW, VIC, SA TAS, has
declined
There are regional variations in population
growth rates. During the 1950/60s the fastest
growing areas were the state capitals.
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Account for Australias population
Distribution. Use p129 of your text to aid
you. Write approx 1-2 A4 pages
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Role of Climate
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Historical Factors
Physical factors Limiting factors Early
Europeans
Factors Affecting Population Distribution in
Australia
Economic Factors
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Population Growth
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Population Terms Game

• http//www.quia.com/cc/1047064.html

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Drought has lead to a skills shortage due to
Rural Urban Migration March 2008

• http//smallbusiness.smh.com.au/managing/managemen
  t/the-new-drought-workers-911006819.html?s_cidrss
  _smallbiz

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Population growth

• Figure 5.1a on pg 126 of the text shows the
  contribution made by the two components of
  population growth natural increase and net
  migration
• Draw figure 5.1a into your books
• NATURAL INCREASE- is the difference between the
  birth rate (which is expressed as the number of
  live births per thousand of the population per
  year) and the death rate (the number of deaths
  per thousand people per year).
• NET MIGRATION- is the difference between the
  number of permanent departures from Australia and
  the number of people arriving to live in
  Australia on a permanent basis.

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Net Migration

• Net migration is the difference between the
  number of permanent departures from Australia
  (emigration) and the number of people arriving to
  live in Australia on a permanent basis
  (immigration)
• permanent arrivals (immigration) permanent
  departures (emigration) net migration

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Australian Population Change 1901-2002
Growth rates
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Ive lost my job. I can barely support my wife
and me, let alone kids.
My husband is away fighting in Europe. Some of
my friends husbands have been killed.
We need workers to build the Snowy Mountains
Scheme
I was born just after the war, and now Im having
a family myself
I have a great job. I would ruin it by having
kids now.
We were nearly invaded in the war. We need more
people to defend Australia
I have a good job and Im earning a good wage. I
could support a larger family.
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• A significant share of Australias population
  growth has come from immigration. (To enter and
  settle in a country or region to which one is not
  native.)
• Since World War II (1939- 1945) more than 5
  million people have migrated to Australia.
• The outcome of this process has been the
  development of a multicultural society.
• At present one in every four Australians is
  either a first generation or second generation
  settler.
• The source of these immigrants has changed
  overtime.

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Ethnic composition

• http//www.smh.com.au/news/national/worst-for-indi
  genous-health/2007/04/30/1177788058906.html May
  2007 SMH

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The percentage change of changing birthplace of
new settlers
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Australian Population Pyramid Creator Animation

• http//www.gpa.uq.edu.au/PopulationPyramids/

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Population Structure

• The age/ gender structure of the Australian
  population resembles that of other developed
  countries.
• i.e. a narrowing base and an expansion in the
  older age groups.

Explain why?
This change is the result of the ageing of the
population.
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Australia Age-Sex Structure of the Population,
June 2006Source ABS Estimated Resident
Population data
Baby Boomers
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Why I am showing this video?

• http//au.youtube.com/watch?v9JMbaZ6j1J4

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Video

• Show reasons for ageing popn video

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Why am I showing you this advertisement?
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Reasons for the ageing population-
Declining birth rates- Lower fertility rates have
resulted in a decrease in the proportion of young
people in the population
Increasing Life expectancy Australians are
living longer
Life expectancy for
-83 years

• 77 years

Changes in Australias immigration program In the
1950s/60s there was a large scale immigration
program. Majority of immigrants were young. Many
of them had children. Late 1980/90s, the
immigration program was significantly reduced
many of those who did arrive were older.
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Fertility

• The total fertility rate (TFR, of a population is
  the average number of children that would be born
  to a woman over her lifetime
• The total fertility rate (TFR) is a measure of
  current fertility. Australia's TFR dropped below
  replacement level (2.1 babies per woman) in 1976.
  
• It has remained below replacement level and
  declined further since then until recently.
• This means that under current age-specific
  fertility rates the average number of babies born
  to a woman throughout her reproductive life would
  not be sufficient to replace herself and her
  partner.
• http//www.radioblogclub.com/open/128196/we_are_fa
  mily_sister_sledge/Sister_Sledge_-_We_Are_Family

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Fertility

• In 2001, Australia's fertility reached a historic
  low of 1.73 babies per woman. Since then, the
  total fertility rate has increased to 1.83 in
  2007 and in 2008 increased to 1.93.
• Additionally, women in more advantaged areas,
  while having fewer babies than those in less
  advantaged areas, have had the greatest increase
  in fertility between 2001 and 2007.

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Account for the low fertility rate DELAYING
CHILDBIRTH

• Increased status of women due to higher levels of
  tertiary (University education) has meant that
  women are delaying childbirth because they are
  staying in the workforce longer
• Increased use of contraception
• Increase in cost of living

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Median age for mothers fathers

• The trend towards delaying child-bearing in
  Australia is evident in the median age of
  parents.
• For both mothers and fathers, median age has
  risen consistently over the past two decades.
• In 1983, the median age of all mothers who gave
  birth in that year was 26.9 years, while the
  median age of fathers was 29.7 years.
• In 2003, the median ages were 30.5 years and 32.6
  years for mothers and fathers respectively.

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Consequences of low birth rates

• Video
• Show low BR consequences video http//www.abc.net.
  au/tv/differenceofopinion/

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Government response

• With the fertility rate plummeting to record lows
  the Australian Government in recent times has
  offered a Baby Bonus
• In 2004 Peter Costello in his budget address
  famously said
• "You should have one for the father, one for the
  mother and one for the country. If you want to
  fix the ageing demographic, that's what you do,"

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Ethnic composition structure
Describe and Account for the difference in
Indigenous and Non indigenous population
pyramid shapes. Read pgs 132-133
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Describe and Account for the difference in
Indigenous and Non indigenous population pyramid
shapes

• Description Age/gender structure resembles that
  of a developing country
• Higher birth rate the population is very young
• Lower life expectancy
• Accounting due to isolation from health care
  facilities, poor health, education and limited
  access to specialised care.
• High infant mortality rates due to the same
  reasons above
• Research shows that too many indigenous
  Australians die from a range of preventable
  diseases
• More indigenous Australians are smokers
• Lack of family planning, lower participation of
  women in the workforce, health problems, social
  issues with alcoholism and drug abuse.
• It is evident that there is a health care crisis
  with indigenous people in Australia and their
  health is amongst the worst in the world. Poor
  health is a result of poverty and social factors
  and conditions are harshest for those people
  living in remote areas.

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Identify what are the important implications for
government planners examining the indigenous
population pyramid?

• Good health is expensive and it is evident that
  the Government must make spending on health care
  facilities and support services for Aborigines a
  priority. The emphasis should be on children with
  the indigenous population being so young.

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LIFE EXPECTANCY

• Life expectancy refers to the average number of
  additional years a person of a given age and sex
  might expect to live if the age-specific death
  rates of the given period continued throughout
  his or her remaining lifetime.

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Mortality

• Reductions in mortality in the early part of the
  20th century have been attributed to improvements
  in living conditions, such as better water
  supply, sewerage systems, food quality and health
  education.

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Mortality

• The continuing reduction in mortality in the
  latter half of last century has been attributed
  to improving social conditions, and to advances
  in medical technology such as mass immunisation
  and antibiotics.

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Mortality

• The past two decades in particular have seen
  further increases in life expectancy.
• These increases are due in part to lower infant
  mortality, fewer deaths among young adults from
  motor vehicle accidents and fewer deaths among
  older men from heart disease.
• The reduction in the number of deaths from heart
  disease has been related to behavioural changes,
  such as dietary improvements and reduced smoking,
  as well as medical advances.

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Life Expectancy
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Deaths

• Since 1983 the number of deaths has increased by
  1 on average annually.
• The steady increase in the number of deaths over
  time reflects the increasing size of the
  population and, in particular, the increasing
  number of older people.
• With continued ageing of the population the
  number of deaths will continue to rise, with
  deaths projected to outnumber births sometime in
  the 2030s.

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Homework Use your work from today and pp126-130
of your textbook to answer the following task

• Write a description of Australias demographic
  characteristics for someone who has never been to
  Australia. Your description should include
  information about Australias
• Population size
• Population growth
• Population distribution
• Changing age structure
• Changing ethnic composition
• Minimum length 200 words.

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Future Population Growth

• Very debatable
• Some economists/politicians believe that
  Australias population growth will result in
  resource creation, and economic growth and that
  technology will be able to overcome the
  environmental problems created by the increase in
  population.
• In contrast, some scientists/ ecologists believe
  that population growth will only worsen the
  problems of resource depletion , water
  availability and quality, land degradation,
  pollution and habitat loss.

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• Australia has little chance of altering its
  population growth rate by natural means in the
  near future, but is can decide on the number of
  immigrants allowed to enter the country.
• Without an immigration intake Australias
  population would grow very slowly and may even
  start to decline.
• Economists argue that this would limit
  Australias economic potential and result in a
  decline in living standards.

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Describe the current trends in Australias
population growth.

• Australias population is currently growing at
  its fastest rate in almost 20 yrs with the most
  recent increase of 1.5 or 318,500 people to
  September 2007
• But skilled migration has been cut in 2009 from
  133,000 to 115,000
• Every 3 years Australia is approximately adding 1
  million to its population
• 2008 320,000 was added to the population (a
  combination of natural increase and immigration)
• The federal Governments baby bonus had helped
  lift the nation's fertility rate from a record
  low of 1.73 in 2001 to 1.91 in the latest census
  in 2008
• The Government is encouraging migrants because of
  the skills shortage.
• China and India are becoming increasingly
  important contributors to our migrant intake.