Gee Yuyutsu, you must have some very violent census officials in your area! I never heard of anyone being 'dragged out' if they didn't answer the door?
What are you frightened they will find Yuyutsu?

Is Mise, obviously no one else here has researched their family history.
I love finding my ancestors names on an old census, because you can find out so much information on them, including their addresses and occupations...from over a hundred years ago.

Dear Suse,

<<Gee Yuyutsu, you must have some very violent census officials in your area! I never heard of anyone being 'dragged out' if they didn't answer the door?>>

Not the first time, not even the second - first they will just knock and stuff all sorts of forms and warnings and last-warnings and court-summons and fine-notices in your gradmother's letterbox, but after a few times, seeing that nobody took those papers or responded to them, they will eventually call the police who will eventually break the door. Then, if your grandmother ignores them and continues to sit and knit without answering the police's questions, she will be dragged away to prison.

<<What are you frightened they will find Yuyutsu?>>

How can I tell, Suse - I don't know your grandmother.

Perhaps there is indeed something she wants to hide? that's only one possibility.
Perhaps she took a vow of silence? that's just another possibility out of many.

I happen to actually know someone who was so traumatised by these questionings that she escaped and left her rented place without telling her new address to the landlord (the rent was paid) or anyone but her close family, so those officials will not be able to find and follow her.

Is that right Yuyutsu?
Why is answering a few questions such a trauma?
I agree though that no one should be forced to do anything against their will in these sorts of situations.
I just don't see why filling in census forms is such a drama though...

Susie, are you pretending you don't understand that answering is not voluntary, or genuinely ignorant?

The question is not whether the information might be useful. Lots of things might be.

It's whether people should be forced or threatened against their will for you to get what you want, which is what you're arguing in favour of, remember?

Jardine k Jardine, Susie lives in the "Kindergarden of Eden" she is leftist & feminist, therefore incapable of honesty or logical thought.

Suseonline, thank you for agreeing with me darling.

Yuyutsu, Susie will never be honest with you, she has brain washed herself with ANTI-socialism.

Is Mise, gee i never heard of the interweb? i did not know that you could search interstate departments? But are you saying that federal Polly Wafflers & public serpents lied to us all when they said our census papers were private? Are you saying my name address etc is kept attached to the forms so that my great, great children will be able to research my life 100 years from now?

imacentristmoderate,

"Is Mise, gee i never heard of the interweb? i did not know that you could search interstate departments?"

That's your problem!!

I have found the information contained in censuses to be useful and I was recently using the 1911 Census and to some effect.

I imagine that the Commonwealth censuses will be available in detail after the lapse of 100 years or so, as will be the record of your birth, marriage and any children after the lapse of the statutory periods.