IN OUR CONTEMPORARIES: 1. In New Zealand Journals…: About the Pacific

THE COOK ISLANDS: R. G. Crocombe, Post-Primary School Bulletin
VILLAGE LIFE IN FIJI: R. R. Nayacakalou, ibid.     

New Zealanders on the Population Geography of the Western Island

New Zealand origin academics have played a key role in the academic study of Australia's population in the post-war period. The paper argues that New Zealanders have contributed not only to the furthering of knowledge of the processes of change in the Australian population but have been important in the teaching of population geography in Australian universities, made inputs into policy relating to population and been influential in the development of the Australian Population Association. Major contributions have been made by New Zealanders not only in the traditionally strong areas of population geography such as internal and international migration but also in the areas of fertility, mortality and ageing.     

Spatial Scale and the Geography of Tobacco Smoking in New Zealand: A Multilevel Perspective

Smoking in New Zealand is more common in deprived areas and in areas with a significant Maori population. Despite its status as a major health problem there has been little work investigating this apparent geography of smoking Data from the 1996 Census is used to construct a multilevel ‘proportions‐as‐responses’ model of smoking prevalence. This enables an exploration of the geography of smoking at different spatial scales. Levels within the model distinguish contextual variation between local authorities, census area units and meshblocks. Particular account is taken of the influence of deprivation and ethnicity on smoking. Results confirm the importance of ethnicity and deprivation and indicate that cross‐level interaction between meshblock and census area unit measures is significant. They also challenge crude stereotypes about the apparent geography of smoking and suggest that, while levels of smoking may be high in parts of North Island, they are less high than might be expected given the socio‐demographic composition of the areas concerned. Conversely, smoking is more prevalent than expected in parts of South Island. The paper notes the health policy implications of these emergent geographies.