Australian Bureau of Statistics
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BOTANIC GARDENS, ZOOLOGICAL PARKS AND AQUARIUMS

BOTANIC GARDENS AND HERBARIA

Botanic gardens are scientific and cultural institutions established to collect, study, exchange and display plants for research and for the education and enjoyment of the public. Some botanic gardens have an associated herbarium, which is a scientific collection of dried preserved plant specimens used for research and the accurate classification and identification of plants and plant material. Many recently established gardens operate under the auspices of local government or community groups and have a native plant and conservation focus.

There are major botanic gardens in each capital city, and these are managed by the respective state or territory governments, with the exception of those in Brisbane (which are managed by the Brisbane City Council) and in Canberra (which are managed by the Australian Government). The Booderee Botanic Gardens at Jervis Bay are managed by the Australian Government on behalf of the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land, the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council, under arrangements in place since December 1995.

Information about the botanic gardens and herbaria in Australia can be obtained from the web sites: Australian National Botanic Gardens at <http://www.anbg.gov.au>, Council of Heads of Australian Botanic Gardens at <http://www.chabg.gov.au>, Directory of Australian Botanic Gardens and Arboreta at <http://www.chabg.gov.au/bg-dir>, and Resources of Australian Herbaria at <http://www.chah.gov.au/resources>.

Australia's Virtual Herbarium (AVH) is an on-line botanical information resource accessible via the web, which links the databases of the eight major herbaria. More than 75% of the specimens housed in Australian herbaria have been 'databased' to date, and it is anticipated that by the end of 2006 the AVH will provide on-line access to information and locational data for over six million plant specimens. The Australia's Virtual Herbarium web site address is <http://www.chah.gov.au/avh>.

Attendance at botanic gardens

The 2002 Survey of Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events showed 41.6% of the population aged 18 years and over (6.0 million people) visited a botanic garden at least once in the 12 months prior to interview (table 12.7). In 1999 the attendance rate by adults was 36.4% (5.1 million people).

12.7 ATTENDANCE AT BOTANIC GARDENS(a) - 2002
		Attendance rate(b)
		%
Males		40.0
Females		43.2
Persons		41.6
Age group (years)
	18-24	42.6
	25-34	45.5
	35-44	43.4
	45-54	41.4
	55-64	42.2
	65 and over	33.1
Birthplace
	Australia	40.4
	Main English-speaking countries	48.1
	Other countries	42.8
(a) Attendance at least once in the 12 months prior to interview in 2002. (b) The number of people who attended, expressed as a percentage of the number of people in that population group. Source: Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, Australia, 2002 (4114.0).

The ABS Botanic Gardens Census, which was a census of employing organisations with the operation of botanic gardens as their main activity, showed that there were 11.8 million visits to botanic gardens during 1999-2000. This figure includes visits by Australian adults and children, and visits by people from outside Australia, as well as multiple visits by individuals. The six largest botanic gardens (i.e. those employing 50 or more persons) accounted for 61.9% of these visits at an average of 332,000 visits per location.

Botanic gardens industry

The ABS Botanic Gardens Census in respect of 1999-2000 found that there were 72 employing organisations operating botanic gardens at 123 locations at the end of June 2000. The operations of these organisations covered 3,664 hectares (ha), comprising 3,050 ha of botanic gardens and 614 ha of arboreta. The organisations employed 1,250 people at the end of June 2000 and utilised the services of 1,991 volunteers during the month of June. Many of the smaller botanic gardens had few staff (if any), and were particularly reliant on volunteers for their operation. The 54 smaller organisations, those employing less than ten people, provided paid employment for a total of 156 people at the end of June 2000. They were assisted by 871 volunteers during that month.

ZOOLOGICAL PARKS AND AQUARIUMS

Zoological parks and aquariums (i.e. animal, fauna, bird and reptile parks, aquariums, aviaries, butterfly houses and dolphinariums) are primarily engaged in the breeding, preservation, study and display of native and/or exotic fauna in captivity, and are accessible to the general public.

There are zoological parks and aquariums throughout Australia. As well as the four traditional zoos in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, there are numerous wildlife parks and sanctuaries, some of which are associated with urban zoos and others which are privately owned. Some of the better known zoological parks and sanctuaries are Taronga Park (Sydney), Healesville Sanctuary (60 kilometres (km) from Melbourne), the Western Plains Zoo (Dubbo), Victoria's Open Range Zoo at Werribee (a Melbourne suburb), The Territory Wildlife Park (Darwin), Monarto Zoological Park (70 km from Adelaide), Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary (Brisbane) and Currumbin Sanctuary (Gold Coast).

More information about Australian zoological parks and aquariums can be obtained from the 'Zoos in Australia' page on the Australian Government's culture and recreation web site, <http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/zoo>.

Attendance at zoological parks and aquariums

The 2002 Survey of Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events found that 40.0% of the Australian population aged 18 years and over (5.8 million people) visited a zoological park or aquarium during the 12 months prior to interview (table 12.8). The highest adult attendance rate was the 49.8% recorded for the Australian Capital Territory, while Tasmania had the lowest rate at 29.6%.

An ABS survey in 1999 found that the attendance rate by adults at zoological parks and aquariums for Australia overall was 33.8% (4.8 million people).

12.8 ATTENDANCE AT ZOOLOGICAL PARKS AND AQUARIUMS(a) - 2002
		Attendance rate(b)
		%
Males		38.3
Females		41.8
Persons		40.0
Age group (years)
	18-24	43.2
	25-34	51.9
	35-44	49.1
	45-54	36.7
	55-64	32.8
	65 and over	20.1
Birthplace
	Australia	39.9
	Main English-speaking countries	46.2
	Other countries	36.7
(a) Attendance at least once in the 12 months prior to interview in 2002. (b) The number of people who attended, expressed as a percentage of the number of people in that population group. Source: Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, Australia, 2002 (4114.0).

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