Duty largely consists of pretending that the trivial is critical.

Hobart in the Summer! Mount Wellington, as seen from New Town, February 2011.

Quick, I need a Sunday Top Five!

Ummmm….

How about Top Five Statistical Details About Tasmania That You Might Not Be Aware Of?

• Most Tasmanians live in urban centres, with nearly 90% of the total population living in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie and Devonport.



• Over the next twenty years the proportion of Tasmanians under the age of fifteen is projected to decline by approximately 7% while the proportion of people aged 65 years and over could grow by almost 60%.



• In the ten years to 2006 there was a 10% decline in the number of households with children in Tasmania, while the number of childless couples increased by 17% and the number of people living alone increased by 15%.



• Although the proportion of welfare-dependent households has declined in recent years, Tasmania still has the highest proportion of welfare-dependent households of all states and territories at 34%. Of these households, the majority (52 %) were in receipt of retirement pensions and benefits.



• Tasmania had a significantly higher percentage of its population that are rated as ‘low socio-economic status’ as defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics at 55% of its population. The next highest is the Northern Territory at 28.4%, with Queensland and WA hovering around 23%. The Australian Capital Territory has just 0.3% of its population rated as ‘low socio-economic status’.