MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES
Museums are generally engaged in the acquisition, conservation and exhibition of culturally significant objects. The Australian Culture and Leisure Classifications, 2008 (Second Edition) (cat. no. 4902.0) groups museums into two categories: Art museums (i.e. public art galleries) and Other museums. The latter is a more diverse group which encompasses natural science, applied science, history and transport museums and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander keeping places, amongst others.
This section draws together information from the ABS Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events and Cultural Funding by Government surveys and the 2011 Census of Population and Housing to provide some details of the use of museum services and the operations of museums. Supplementary data have been obtained from the National Heritage List.
ATTENDANCE AT MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES
The ABS Survey of Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events interviewed people aged 15 years and over about their attendance in the past 12 months. Results show that a total of 6.4 million persons aged 15 years and over (37% of the population) visited an Art gallery or other museum, with females recording higher attendance rates (29% and 27%) than males (23% and 24%) for both types of institutions.
Two thirds (66%) of those who attended Art galleries and three quarters (76%) of those who visited Other museums had done so once or twice prior to the interview.
MUSEUM ATTENDANCE, By frequency of attendance, 2009-10
 | Number ('000) | Attendance Rate (%) |
|
 | Art galleries | Other museums |  | Art galleries | Other museums |
|
| Once | 1 825.7 | 2 312.8 |  | 40.4 | 51.8 |
| Twice | 1 155.9 | 1 058.6 |  | 25.5 | 23.7 |
| Three times | 531.9 | 436.8 |  | 11.8 | 9.8 |
| Four times | 336.6 | 200.9 |  | 7.4 | 4.5 |
| Five times | 144.8 | 127.2 |  | 3.2 | 2.8 |
| 6-10 times | 318.4 | 217.5 |  | 7.0 | 4.9 |
| 11-20 times | 144.5 | 84.1 |  | 3.2 | 1.9 |
| 21 times or more | 66.6 | 26.4 |  | 1.5 | 0.6 |
| Total | 4 524.4 | 4 464.3 |  | 100.0 | 100.0 |
|
Source: Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, Australia, 2009-10 (cat. no. 4114.0)
More results from the attendance survey can be found in the datacubes attached to Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, Australia, 2009-10 (cat. no. 4114.0).
FUNDING BY GOVERNMENT FOR MUSEUMS
The ABS Cultural Funding by Government Survey found that in 2012-13 the Australian Government funded expenditure of $63.9m on Arts museums and a further $285.9m on Other museums and cultural heritage, while state and territory governments funded expenditure of $191.8m and $550.6m respectively.
CULTURAL EXPENDITURE BY GOVERNMENT, Museums, 2012-13
|
 |
 | Australian Government | State and territory government | Total |
| $m | $m | $m |
|
| Art museums | 63.9 | 191.8 | 255.7 |
| Other museums and cultural heritage | 285.9 | 550.6 | 836.5 |
| Total | 349.8 | 742.4 | 1 092.2 |
|
Source: Cultural Funding by Government, Australia, 2012-13 (cat. no. 4183.0) |
EMPLOYMENT IN MUSEUMS
Census of Population and Housing
Data from the 2011 Census of Population and Housing shows that 7,516 people reported that their main job in the week prior to Census Night (i.e. where they worked the most hours) was in the Museums industry. Of these, 44% were employed in cultural occupations such as Museum and Gallery guides, Curators, Technicians or Conservators. The 56% of Museum employees not in cultural occupations included Specialist managers, Project and Program administrators, Security officers, General clerks, and Education officers.
|
PERSONS EMPLOYED IN THE MUSEUMS INDUSTRY(a)(b), By occupation, 2011
 |  | Number | % |
|
| Cultural occupations |  |  |
 | Gallery or museum guide | 1 036 | 13.8 |
 | Gallery or museum curator | 686 | 9.1 |
 | Arts administrator or manager | 345 | 4.6 |
 | Conservator | 251 | 3.3 |
 | Gallery or museum technician | 109 | 1.5 |
 | Other cultural occupations | 853 | 11.3 |
 | Total cultural occupations | 3 280 | 43.6 |
| Other occupations | 4 170 | 55.5 |
| Total occupations (c) | 7 516 | 100.0 |
|
(a) Cells in this table have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.
HISTORIC AND INDIGENOUS PLACES
Australia's cultural heritage is not confined to museums and the objects they hold. The Department of the Environment compiles and manages the National Heritage List which lists places of outstanding heritage significance to Australia. Each state and territory in Australia also manages its own state/territory register which list heritage places of particular importance to the people who reside there. In addition, there are also registers focusing on areas such as Australia's Indigenous heritage, movable cultural heritage and overseas places of historic significance to Australia. More information about each of these lists is available from the Department of the Environment website, www.environment.gov.au.
According to the Australian Heritage Database, there are currently 100 places included on the National Heritage List. Of these, 52 are of historic importance, 31 of natural importance and 17 of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander importance. Further information about the National Heritage List is available from the Department of the Environment website.
Additional Historical information
Data relating to the number of museum establishments, museum admissions, objects and artifacts held, employment and income and expenses was collected via the 2007-08 survey of Museums. Results from the survey were published in Museums, Australia, 2007-08 (cat. no. 8560.0) which is available on the ABS website.
Useful Links
Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, Australia, 2009-10 (cat. no. 4114.0)
Cultural Funding by Government, Australia, 2012-13 (cat. no. 4183.0)
Employment in Culture, Australia, 2011 (cat. no. 6273.0)
Museums, Australia, 2007-08 (cat. no. 8560.0)
Department of the Environment website, www.environment.gov.au. |
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