But after Britten's death in 1976, notable names meant a loss of focus, or at least so some people feared.
There was a net loss of 6,000 people in 1989 and 7,000 in 1990.
Other sources report a total loss of 4150 people, and 180 million people were affected.
The state had a net loss of more than 75,000 people from 1995 to 2000, according to census figures.
The population drops from 185 to 134, which is a loss of 51 people.
The damage was catastrophic and the Empress sank in just 14 minutes with the loss of 1,012 people.
That would be a net loss of 3,000 people for the decade in a total population about 3.1 million.
A loss of 9 people from the 2000 census.
This shows a loss of 28 people over the 130 year period recorded.
The loss of 300 to 500 people is reflected in the 'lunch covers.'