ORGANISATIONS
The 2003-04 Survey of Museums defined a museum as an establishment which is involved in acquiring, conserving, researching into, communicating and exhibiting material evidence of people, their culture and environment for the purposes of study, education and enjoyment by the general public. The scope of the 2003-04 Survey of Museums was employing and non-employing businesses and organisations that were mainly engaged in the operation of museums and art galleries. The scope also included other museums/galleries registered as having a collection with Australian Museums and Galleries OnLine (AMOL) (now known as the Collections Australia Network). The scope excluded organisations mainly engaged in the operation of botanic gardens, herbariums, zoological gardens, aquariums, observatories and planetariums, public libraries and science centres.
In June 2004, there were 1,329 museum establishments operating in Australia. Of these, 12% were Art galleries and the remaining 88% were classified as Other museums. The Other museums category included social history museums, historic properties or sites and natural, science and other museums.
8.4 NUMBER OF MUSEUM ESTABLISHMENTS - June 2004 |
| |
| | Number | Per cent | |
| | no. | % | |
| |
Art galleries | 160 | 12.0 | |
Other museums | | | |
| Social history museums | 673 | 50.6 | |
| Historic properties or sites | 381 | 28.7 | |
| Natural, science and other museums | 116 | 8.7 | |
| Total | 1 169 | 88.0 | |
Total | 1 329 | 100.0 | |
| |
Source: ABS, Museums, Australia, 2003-04 (cat. no. 8560.0). |