8560.0 - Museums, Australia, 1999-2000  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 06/07/2001   
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SUMMARY OF FINDINGS


INTRODUCTION

This publication presents results, in respect of the 1999-2000 financial year, from an Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) survey of organisations which operated museum establishments. For the purpose of this collection, a museum establishment was defined as an enclosed area which stored artefacts, artworks and museum objects and which was open to the general public.

The types of museum establishments varied by size, with the larger establishments generally equating to whole organisations. However, many of the smaller establishments were only minor operations of a much larger organisation. As a result, while detailed financial data was able to be obtained in respect of the larger establishments, only restricted financial data was able to be obtained from the smaller museum establishments.

The list of museum establishments for this survey was obtained from various sources such as the ABS Business Register and the Australian Museums On-Line (AMOL) website.

Size of industry

At the end of June 2000, there were 2,049 museum establishments, comprising 249 art museums/galleries, 411 historic properties and 1,389 other museums (e.g. social history, natural history and science museums). The majority of these museum establishments (58%) were operated on a volunteer basis.

Admissions

On average, museums were open for 30 hours per week during 1999-2000. Historic properties were open more than average at 35 hours per week. During the year, there were 27.5 million admissions to museums comprising 11.0 million paid admissions and 16.6 million free admissions.

The average price per paid admission to museums was $4.80.

Artefacts

Although the ABS has endeavoured to obtain consistent estimates on the number of artefacts in museums, cataloguing guidelines differed between museums, so interpretation of data on artefacts should be undertaken with care.

At the end of June 2000, there were 61.6 million artefacts, artworks and museum objects located in museums.

Sources of income

During 1999-2000, museums accrued a total of $716 million in income. The main source of income was government funding of $487 million, which represented 68% of the total income. The admission income of $52 million represented an average cost of $4.80 per paid admission.

Expenses

During 1999-2000, museums incurred $643 million in expenses.

Persons working

At the end of June 2000, there were 37,402 persons working in the 2,049 museums. The persons working comprised direct employment of 6,956 persons, 29,963 volunteers and 484 persons paid by other (related) organisations.

The 29,967 volunteers each worked an average of 13 hours during June 2000.

1 SUMMARY OF MUSEUM OPERATIONS
Units
Art museums/
galleries
Historic
properties
Other
museums
Total
Museum/gallery establishments at end June 2000
no.
249
411
1,389
2,049
Artefacts/art works/museum objects at end June 2000
'000
1,157.5
*2,740.0
57.737.8
61,635.3
Admissions during the year ended 30 June 2000
Paid
'000
1,414.6
2,936.6
6,614.6
10,965.7
Free
'000
5,113.1
*4,323.4
7,129.6
16,566.1
Total
'000
6,527.6
*7,260.0
13,744.2
27,531.8
Average hours per week open
no.
30.5
34.8
28.3
30.4
Employment at end June 2000
no.
1,741
1,010
4,205
6,956
Volunteers for the month of June 2000
no.
4,177
5,929
19,857
29,963
Income
Government funding
$m
124.0
35.5
327.7
487.2
Admissions income
$m
7.6
10.1
34.7
52.4
Other income
$m
65.7
18.8
92.3
176.8
Total
$m
197.2
64.4
454.8
716.4
Expenses
Wages and salaries
$m
57.4
23.8
130.2
211.4
Other expenses
$m
107.0
33.6
290.4
431.1
Total
$m
164.4
57.4
420.7
642.5
* estimate has a relative standard error of between 25% and 50% and should be used with caution

Copyright © Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2001


EXPLANATORY NOTES


INTRODUCTION

1 This publication presents results, in respect of the 1999-2000 financial year, from an Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) survey of organisations which operated museum establishments. For the purpose of this collection, a museum establishment was defined as an enclosed area, which stored artefacts, artworks and museum objects and which was open to the general public.


SCOPE

2 The survey included art museums/galleries, historic properties, social history, natural history, science and other museums operated by the private and government sectors. These establishments are classified to Class 9220 (Museums) of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industry Classification (ANZSIC).

3 The list of museum establishments for this survey was obtained from various sources such as the ABS Business Register and the Australian Museums on Line (AMOL) website.


STATISTICAL UNIT

4 The statistical unit was the establishment. The establishment was generally a single location within which artefacts, artworks and museum objects were stored. Both employing and non-employing establishments were included in the survey.


RELIABILITY OF DATA

5 Since the estimates in this publication include information obtained from a sample drawn from units in the survey population, the estimates are subject to sampling variability, that is, they may differ from figures that would have been obtained if all units had been included in the survey. One measure of the likely difference is given by the standard error, which indicates the extent to which an estimate might have varied by chance because only a sample of units was included.

6 There are about two chances in three that a sample estimate will differ by less than one standard error from the figure that would have been obtained if a census had been conducted, and approximately 19 chances in 20 that the difference will be less than two standard errors.

7 Sampling variability can be measured by the relative standard error (RSE) which is obtained by expressing the standard error as a percentage of the estimate to which it refers. The RSE is a useful measure in that it provides an immediate indication of the percentage errors likely to have occurred due to sampling, and this avoids the need to refer also to the size of the estimate.

8 The following table contains estimates of RSEs for a selection of the statistics presented in this publication.


RELATIVE STANDARD ERRORS FOR TABLE 1, SUMMARY OF MUSEUM OPERATIONS
Art museums/
galleries
Historic
properties
Other
museums
Total
%
%
%
%
Museum/gallery establishments at end June 2000
11
9
5
3
Artefacts/art works/museum objects at end June 2000
14
34
7
6
Admissions during the year ended 30 June 2000
Paid
5
21
5
6
Free
7
37
15
12
Total
6
30
8
9
Average hours per week open
5
8
5
4
Employment at end June 2000
5
9
4
3
Volunteers for the month of June 2000
13
12
8
6
Income
Government funding
4
14
2
2
Admissions income
3
15
6
5
Other income
3
16
5
3
Total
3
13
2
2
Expenses
Wages and salaries
4
13
3
2
Other expenses
4
9
2
2
Total
4
10
2
2
Copyright © Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2001


9 As an example of the above, an estimate of museum/gallery establishments at the end of June 2000 is 2,049 and the RSE is 3%, giving a standard error of 61.5 establishments. Therefore there would be two chances in three that, if all units had been included in the survey, a figure in the range of 1,987.5 to 2,110.5 would have been obtained, and 19 chances in 20 that the figure would have been within the range of 1,926.0 to 2,172.0 (a confidence interval of 95%).

10 Where the RSE of an estimate included in this publication exceeds 25%, it has been annotated with an asterisk (*) as a warning to users. Where the RSE of an estimate exceeds 50%, it has been annotated with a double asterisk (**).

11 Errors other than those due to sampling may occur because of deficiencies in the register of units from which the sample was selected, non-responses, and imperfections in reporting by respondents. Inaccuracies of this kind are referred to as non-sampling errors and these may occur in any collection. Every effort has been made to reduce non-sampling error to a minimum by careful design and testing of questionnaires and systems used to compile the statistics.


IMPROVEMENTS TO COVERAGE

12 Museum data in this publication have been adjusted to allow for lags in processing new businesses to the ABS business register, and the omission of some businesses from the business register. The majority of businesses affected and to which the adjustments apply are small in size.

13 Adjustments have been made to include new businesses in the estimates in the periods in which they commenced operations, rather than when they were processed to the business register.

14 Further adjustments have been made for businesses which had been in existence for several years, but, for various reasons, were not previously added to the ABS register.

15 For more information on these adjustments, please refer to ABS Information Paper: Improvements to ABS Economic Statistics, 1997 (Cat. no. 1357.0).


REFERENCE PERIOD

16 Data contained in the tables in this publication relate to all museum businesses and organisations within the survey scope (see paragraphs 2-3) which operated in Australia at any time during the year ended June 2000. Counts of businesses and organisations include only those that were operating at 30 June 2000.


BUSINESSES CEASED DURING THE YEAR

17 A very small number of organisations ceased operations during the 1999-2000 reference period. As is normal ABS procedure, the contributions of these organisations were included in the survey output.


RELATED PUBLICATIONS

18 This publication is one of a series to be issued in respect of 1999-2000 for a range of cultural services industries. Other publications in this series
are:
  • Botanic gardens, Australia,1999-2000 (cat. no. 8563.0) - issued April 2001
  • Motion Picture Exibition, Australia,1999-2000 (cat. no. 8654.0) - issued May 2001
  • Video Hire Industry, Australia, 1999-2000 (cat. no. 8562.0) - issued May 2001
  • Public Libraries, Australia,1999-2000 (cat. no. 8561.0) - issued June 2001
  • Television Industry, Australia, 1999-2000 (cat. no. 8559.0)
  • Performing Arts, Australia,1999-2000 (cat. no. 8697.0)
  • Commercial Art Galleries, Australia, 1999-2000 (cat. no. 8651.0)
  • Film and Video Production and Distribution, Australia, 1999-2000 (cat. no. 8679.0)