New Zealand Population 1874 - 1923

Dunedin was the largest city in New Zealand in 1870 with a population of 14,000. By 1878, Dunedin had grown to 22,525 people. There were 18,953 in Wellington, 13,758 in Auckland and 12,370 in Christchurch(1). By the beginning of the 20th century, the North Island had overtaken the South Island as the most populous island.

The city where Hermann last lived in Germany, Hamburg, reached a population of 800,000 in the mid-19th century – 50 years before the entire population of New Zealand would reach this level.

"Germany has supplied us with more immigrants than any other country of continental Europe."(2)

Census Population 1874 - 1921

The table above shows:
- there was a 'steady stream'(3) of German-born residents in New Zealand from 1840 to 1900, peaking in 1881 (during the "Great Migration" 1871-1885);
- Germans maintained their concentration in the pool of foreign-born residents up until 1906 but overall the total number of aliens decreased significantly - due to general population growth, reduced assisted migration, the "Depression" (1885- 1900) and Naturalisation.

Aliens (non-British foreign-born residents) were always able to work in New Zealand although they could not hold public office. In 1870, most of the civil rights of British subjects, including the ability to own property but excluding the ability to vote in parliamentary elections, were granted in the first Aliens Act. In 1917 an Alien's Registration Act was introduced and continued until 1923.

H.M. Lund registered as an Alien in 1917 (Vol.2) and no Naturalisation Record has been found.

(1) (2) (3) From Europe to NZ: an account of our continental settlers by R.A. Lochore. Reed, Wellington, 1951
Current estimate of resident population in New Zealand
German Population