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FEATURE ARTICLE: MUSEUMS - FACT SHEET


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Introduction

What is a museum?

How many museums are there?

How many people go to museums?

How many objects are kept by museums?

How many people work in museums?

How are museums funded?

How can I find a museum?

References


INTRODUCTION

This article presents information about museums, including social history museums and historic properties and sites. Art museums are excluded except where data sources do not distinguish between museums and art museums.

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WHAT IS A MUSEUM?

In its role as Australia's official statistical agency, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) produced the Australian Culture and Leisure Classifications, 2008 (cat. no. 4902.0) (ACLC). This document defines many aspects of the culture and leisure sector. Using this classification, museums fall under the heading of museums, antiques and collectables. These include art museums, other museums and antiques and collectables dealings and restoration. The focus of this article is on other museums that are 'mainly engaged in the acquisition, collection management, conservation, interpretation, communication and exhibition of heritage objects and artefacts'. Data about art museums are excluded from this article except where data sources do not distinguish between other museums and art museums. Art museums include national and state/territory art galleries and other public art galleries and exclude commercial art galleries which are mainly engaged in retailing art.

While the ABS uses the above definition for museums, other definitions of museums also exist. According to the International Council of Museums, a museum is 'a non-profit making permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, the tangible and intangible evidence of people and their environment'. In addition to this definition, Museums Australia defines a museum as an institution that '... helps people understand the world by using objects and ideas to interpret the past and present and explore the future. A museum preserves and researches collections, and make objects and information accessible in actual and virtual environments. Museums are established in the public interest as permanent, not-for-profit organisations that contribute long-term value to communities.'

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HOW MANY MUSEUMS ARE THERE?

According to Museums, Australia, 2007-08 (cat. no. 8560.0) there were 1,019 museums operating from 1,276 locations in Australia at the end of June 2008. These locations included 768 social history museums, 425 historic properties and sites, and 83 other museums.

The 2007-08 Museums Survey focused on employing and non-employing businesses and organisations classified to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification 2006 Edition (ANZSIC06) Class 8910 - Museum Operations. These organisations were mainly engaged in the operation of museums and art galleries. The survey also included other museums/galleries registered as having a collection with Collections Australia Network. Collections Australia Network was used to identify any museums or art galleries that may not have been recorded on the ABS Business Register or were operated by organisations not classified to ANZSIC06 Class 8910 - Museum Operations. Collections Australia Network is considered to be a comprehensive national directory of collecting institutions. However, registration to Collections Australia Network is voluntary.

The types of museums included in this survey were: historic trusts and sites; historic societies with a collection; house museums; social and natural history museums; archives (excluding the national and state archives); art galleries (excluding commercial art galleries); keeping places and cultural centres; outdoor museums; science museums; maritime museums; military museums and transport museums. Museums and galleries were only included if they were open to the general public during the 2007-08 reference year.

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HOW MANY PEOPLE GO TO MUSEUMS?

As reported in Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, 2005-06 (cat. no. 4114.0), an estimated 3.6 million Australian adults (or 23% of the population aged 15 years and over) visited a museum at least once in the 12 months prior to interview. Half (50%) of the people who had visited museums in the past 12 months had gone once, with another quarter (25%) of museum visitors having visited twice. The remaining quarter of museum visitors had been to a museum three times or more during the previous 12 months.

According to Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities, April 2009 (cat. no. 4901.0), just over 1.1 million (41%) children aged 5 to 14 years had visited a museum or art gallery outside of school hours in the 12 months prior to interview. The rate of attendance at museums or art galleries was similar for boys and girls (41% and 42% respectively). The attendance rate declined with age and children aged 5 to 8 years had a participation rate of 47%, compared with children aged 9 to 11 years (43%) and children aged 12 to 14 years (33%). Children living in the ACT were more likely to visit a museum or art gallery (60%), while children living in NSW were the least likely to attend (36%). Children in couple families with both parents born in other main English speaking countries (52%) were more likely to attend museums or art galleries than children with both parents born in Australia (42%) and children with both parents born in other countries (28%).

The publication Museums, Australia, 2007-08 (cat. no. 8560.0) reported that there were an estimated 17.8 million admissions to museums, with 7.6 million (or 43%) of these being paid admissions and 10.1 million being free admissions (57%). In addition, there were also 51.5 million unique online visits to museums with a total of 127.3 million Web pages viewed in 2007-08.

The Council of Australasian Museum Directors (CAMD) 2005-06 survey found that total attendances to CAMD's 21 museum sites across Australia and New Zealand numbered 11.8 million. As well as on-site visits to the museum sites, CAMD museum websites recorded 37.8 million user sessions. For the first time, in 2005-06 more than half of CAMD's members attracted more virtual than on-site visitors.

It is important to note the difference between the numbers of visitors as reported by the Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, 2005-06 (cat. no. 4114.0) and the number of visits as reported by the Museums, Australia, 2007-08 (cat. no. 8560.0) and the CAMD survey.

• The survey of Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events collects data in relation to visitors. Data are collected about whether a person has visited a selected cultural venue or event (e.g. museum) in the past 12 months and how often. Regardless of how many times a person has visited a selected cultural venue or event in the last year, they are counted as only one visitor.
• The CAMD and Museums collections collects data on visits. A visit counts the same visitor returning numerous times.