I couldn't guess how long this colony had been growing.

Food still needed to be brought in as the colony could not yet grow enough.

In a few years the colony grew to several hundred members.

The colony grew rapidly in both population and economic power.

The colony has grown to 13,000 and is now the third largest for the species.

The German colonies grew rapidly in the 1870s and 1880s.

The shipping industry developed as colonies grew and trade with Europe increased.

As the colony grew, so too did the need for more administrative buildings.

In time, the colony would grow to the point of being self-sustaining.

Through the 1970s the colony grew to approximately 700 individuals representing 33 species.