ECONOMIC-GROWTH AND CONVERGENCE ACROSS THE 7 COLONIES OF AUSTRALASIA - 1861-1991

Have the poor economies of Australasia grown faster than the rich ones ? This question is analyzed for the seven colonies of Australasia for the period 1861-1991, and it is found that the levels of per-capita in come across the colonies are converging to one another: the initially poor colonies have indeed grown faster. The cross-sectional dispersion of per-capita incomes also declined between 1861-1991, bur most of th is decline occurred in the pre-Federation 1861-1901 period, as the ext ent of dispersion in 1991 is very close to that attained in 1901.