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Although the CPI has only been compiled from 1948, an approximate long-term measure of retail price change has been constructed by linking together other selected retail price index series (see table 28.4). The index numbers are expressed on a reference base 1945 = 100.0. The successive series are:

• from 1850 to 1901, Sydney retail price index

• from 1901 to 1914, the A series index

• from 1914 to 1946-47, the C series index

• from 1946-47 to 1948-49, a combination of the C series Index (excluding rent) and the housing group of the CPI

• from 1948-49 onwards, the CPI.

28.4 RETAIL PRICE INDEX NUMBERS(a)(b)
Year	Index no.	Year	Index no.	Year	Index no.	Year	Index no.	Year	Index no.	Year	Index no.
1850	53	1876	51	1902	50	1928	89	1954	206	1980	844
1851	56	1877	53	1903	49	1929	91	1955	211	1981	926
1852	56	1878	51	1904	46	1930	87	1956	224	1982	1,028
1853	69	1879	45	1905	48	1931	78	1957	229	1983	1,132
1854	89	1880	45	1906	48	1932	74	1958	233	1984	1,177
1855	103	1881	46	1907	48	1933	71	1959	237	1985	1,257
1856	78	1882	56	1908	51	1934	73	1960	245	1986	1,370
1857	82	1883	55	1909	51	1935	74	1961	252	1987	1,487
1858	86	1884	52	1910	52	1936	75	1962	251	1988	1,594
1859	73	1885	53	1911	53	1937	78	1963	252	1989	1,714
1860	72	1886	56	1912	59	1938	80	1964	258	1990	1,839
1861	71	1887	52	1913	59	1939	82	1965	268	1991	1,898
1862	65	1888	52	1914	61	1940	85	1966	276	1992	1,917
1863	58	1889	51	1915	70	1941	89	1967	286	1993	1,952
1864	60	1890	51	1916	71	1942	97	1968	293	1994	1,989
1865	64	1891	50	1917	75	1943	101	1969	302	1995	2,082
1866	60	1892	49	1918	80	1944	100	1970	313	1996	2,136
1867	50	1893	48	1919	91	1945	100	1971	332	1997	2,141
1868	54	1894	42	1920	103	1946	102	1972	352	1998	2,159
1869	46	1895	42	1921	90	1947	106	1973	385	1999	2,191
1870	48	1896	42	1922	87	1948	117	1974	443	2000	2,289
1871	47	1897	42	1923	89	1949	128	1975	510	2001	2,389
1872	43	1898	41	1924	88	1950	140	1976	579
1873	47	1899	45	1925	88	1951	167	1977	650
1874	52	1900	43	1926	90	1952	196	1978	702
1875	53	1901	47	1927	89	1953	205	1979	766
(a) Reference base year 1945 = 100.0. (b) The index numbers relate to Sydney from 1850 to 1900; from 1901 to 1980 they relate to the weighted average of six state capital cities; and from 1981 to the weighted average of eight capital cities. Index numbers are for calendar years.
Source: ABS data available on request, Consumer Price Index.