4172.0 - Arts and Culture in Australia: A Statistical Overview, 2011  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 19/12/2011   
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Contents >> Museums >> Attendance

Attendance

According to the 2009-10 ABS (2010a) publication Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events (cat. no. 4114.0), a total of 6.4 million people aged 15 years and over (37% of the population) visited an Art gallery or Other museum in the 12 months prior to interview. Females recorded higher attendance rates than males for both types of institution.

8.1 MUSEUM ATTENDANCE - By selected characteristics - 2009-10
Number ('000)
Attendance Rate (%)
Art galleries
Other museums
Total(a)
Art galleries
Other museums
Total(a)
Sex
Males
1 988.8
2 073.2
2 916.1
23.1
24.1
33.8
Females
2 535.5
2 391.1
3 455.4
28.6
27.0
39.0
Age group (years)
15-17
235.8
254.4
339.9
27.3
29.4
39.3
18-24
485.1
399.0
631.7
22.3
18.4
29.1
25-34
723.9
811.7
1 116.9
23.4
26.2
36.1
35-44
796.6
990.9
1 258.1
25.7
32.0
40.6
45-54
876.4
835.6
1 172.1
29.3
28.0
39.2
55-64
754.5
662.2
984.7
30.3
26.6
39.5
65-74
424.5
350.5
562.2
26.9
22.2
35.6
75 and over
227.6
160.0
306.1
19.1
13.5
25.7
State or Territory
New South Wales
1 471.6
1 329.9
2 016.4
25.7
23.2
35.2
Victoria
1 157.4
1 130.6
1 633.4
26.2
25.6
37.0
Queensland
889.7
885.6
1 258.6
25.7
25.5
36.3
South Australia
333.4
368.0
478.8
25.6
28.2
36.7
Western Australia
399.0
421.0
590.2
22.7
23.9
33.5
Tasmania
106.6
143.3
161.5
26.8
36.0
40.5
Northern Territory
38.5
57.0
63.4
30.2
44.6
49.6
Australian Capital Territory
128.1
128.9
169.3
45.9
46.2
60.7
Total
4 524.4
4 464.3
6 371.6
25.9
25.5
36.5
(a) The total is less than the sum of the components as some people visited both types of museums.
Source: Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, 2009-10 (cat. no. 4114.0).


Most people (66%) who attended Art galleries had been there once or twice in the 12 months prior to interview, as had about three-quarters (76%) of those who visited Other museums.

8.2 MUSEUM ATTENDANCE, By frequency - 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).


While the survey of Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events (ABS 2010a) provides information on the type of people who attend museums and how often they go, it is unable to give a figure for the total number of admissions. As the survey only obtained information about Australian residents aged 15 years or over, some groups were excluded from the data collection such as tourists from overseas and younger age groups. Further, as respondents were asked to indicate their frequency of attendance from a set of ranges, for example, 6-10 times, 11-20 times, 21 times or more etc. it is not possible to accurately calculate the exact number of visits.

However, the 2007-08 Survey of Museums (ABS 2009d) collected this information and found that there were an estimated 30.7 million admissions during the year, of which about two-thirds (68%) were free of charge. Art galleries accounted for just over two-fifths (42%) of all admissions.

8.3 MUSEUM ADMISSIONS - 2007-08
Other museums
Art museums/galleries
Social history museums
Historic properties/sites
Natural, science and other museums
Total
Admissions
'000
'000
'000
'000
'000
Paid
2 177.7
^2 890.2
2 574.1
2 161.2
9 803.2
Free
^10 771.9
^5 888.5
1 154.0
3 099.9
^20 914.3
Total
^12 949.6
^8 778.7
3 728.1
5 261.1
30 717.5
^ estimate has a relative standard error of 10% to less than 25% and should be used with caution
Source: Museums, Australia, 2007-08 (cat. no. 8560.0)








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