HOBBY ACTIVITIES
Very little data exists on the types of hobbies in which people take part. The ABS collected some data on a limited set of cultural hobbies (art and craft, writing and music) in its 2007 survey of Work in Selected Culture and Leisure Activities.
For the survey a hobby was defined as an activity that was undertaken only for oneself or for family or friends, that is, the output was not for general consumption. For example, a mother knitting a jumper for her child would include the activity as a hobby. If she knitted the jumper to sell, her activity would be considered a work involvement (work involvement is reported in Chapter 5).
The survey showed that there were 2.8 million people aged 15 years and over in Australia who were not involved in producing art and craft for the public but created items for their own, family or friends use in the 12 months before interview. This is up from 2.5 million people in 2004.
The survey also showed that there were 356,900 people involved in writing as a hobby only, and 265,000 involved in music as a hobby only. This is up from 317,200 and 158,700 respectively in 2004.
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