LEISURE PARTICIPATION, VICTORIA
PURPOSE
To collect information about sports, physical recreation, cultural activities, attendance at major events and festivals, gambling and other leisure activities undertaken by people in Victoria.
DESCRIPTION
The data were collected in a survey conducted throughout Victoria during October 1996 as a supplement to the Monthly Population Survey (MPS), at the request of Arts Victoria, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Tourism Victoria, the Victorian Casino and Gaming Authority and Sport and Recreation Victoria. Persons aged 15 years and over were in scope of the survey, except for members of Australia’s permanent defence forces; certain diplomatic personnel of overseas governments, customarily excluded from census and estimated populations; overseas residents in Australia; and members of non-Australian defence forces (and their dependants) stationed in Australia. The supplementary survey was conducted using the sample of private dwellings in Victoria that were included in the MPS. Approximately half of the MPS respondents were selected randomly for inclusion in the supplementary survey, providing a sample of about 5,000 people where a full response was obtained. Information was collected by personal interview of an adult in the household for usual residents aged 15 years and over. For questions on gambling, people aged less than 18 years were excluded.
GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE
Victoria
FREQUENCY OF COLLECTION
Irregular
DATA ITEMS
As the Leisure Participation survey was conducted as part of the Monthly Population Survey all of the data items shown in the Labour force entry in this directory, with the exception of occupation and industry of employment, are available for analysis alongside the data items shown below.
Number of persons
The number of persons in Victoria aged 15 years or more.
Sporting and physical recreation activities undertaken
Whether, in the last 12 months, participated (including as a player, coach, umpire or administrator) in:
Tennis
Golf
Netball
Lawn bowls
Basketball
Billiards, snooker or pool
Cricket (outdoors)
Soccer
Australian Rules Football
Aerobics or aquarobics
Walking for exercise
Bushwalking/hiking
Jogging or power walking
Cycling or mountain biking
Fishing
Swimming
Weightlifting, bodybuilding or powerlifting
Other (up to four activities other than those listed above could be specified)
Whether participation was for a club
For each of the three main activities undertaken, whether the person took part for a club, association or school.
Frequency of participation
For each of the three main activities undertaken, how often the person participated. Frequency categories are:
More than once a week
Once a week
Once every 2 weeks
Once every 3 weeks
Once a month
Once every 3 months
Less than every 3 months
Reasons for non-participation in sport or physical recreation activities
The main reason for non-participation in any such activities during the last 12 months. Categories are:
Illness/other health problems
Sport injury/work injury
Too old
Not interested
Expense/cost
Transport
No child care
No time/too busy
Other
Visited natural areas for recreation
Whether, in the last 12 months, any of the following areas had been visited for recreation:
Coastal and bay areas
Rivers and lakes
National parks, State parks and forests
Number of visits to natural areas for recreation
For each of the three types of natural area which had been visited for recreation in the last 12 months, the number of visits in each of the following seasons:
Winter (June, July, August)
Spring (September, October, November)
Summer (December, January, February)
Autumn (March, April, May)
Overnight stays in natural areas
Specifies how many of the visits to each natural area for recreation in the last 12 months involved stays overnight or longer.
Leisure activities undertaken during visits to natural areas
For each of the three types of natural area which had been visited for recreation in the last 12 months, specifies which of the following activities had been undertaken:
Enjoyment/relaxation (i.e. picnic)
Fishing, inland
Fishing, coastal/bay
Walking for exercise
Climbing/bushwalking/hiking
Flora/fauna observing
Sailing/boating/water skiing
Swimming/surfing/wind surfing
Shooting/hunting
Bicycle riding
Snow skiing
Off road driving/trail bike riding
Other activities
Main leisure activity undertaken during visits to natural areas
For each of the three types of natural area which had been visited for recreation in the last 12 months, specifies which of the above activities was the main one undertaken.
Cultural activities undertaken
Whether, in the last 12 months, participated in the following cultural activities in Victoria, elsewhere in Australia or overseas:
Been to an art gallery
Been to any type of musical concert, such as classical, jazz, popular or rock
Been to a live performance, such as theatre, musicals, drama, opera, dance or comedy
Been to a museum, historic building or site
Number of times cultural activities undertaken
Records the number of times each of the above cultural activities was undertaken in the last 12 months.
Once
2 times
3 times
4 times
5-10 times
More than 10 times
Major annual events or festivals attended in the last 12 months
Whether, in the last 12 months, attended the following events:
Spring racing carnival
Australian Tennis Open
AFL Finals series
Melbourne International Festival of Arts
Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
Melbourne Comedy Festival
Any Melbourne street festival
Australian Grand Prix
Major annual events or festivals attended in the last 2 years
Whether, in the last 2 years, attended the events listed above (excluding the Australian Grand Prix).
Gambling activities undertaken
Whether, in the last 12 months, undertook the following gambling activities in Victoria:
Purchased a raffle ticket
Purchased a lotto ticket
Attended a bingo session
Attended horse racing, greyhound or harness race meetings to gamble
Attended the TAB to gamble
Attended a club or pub to use electronic gaming machines (pokies)
Attended a casino to gamble
Other activities undertaken at casinos, clubs or pubs
Respondents who had visited a casino, club or pub to gamble in the last 12 months were asked whether the visit (or visits) had been combined with any of the following activities:
Eating out
Sporting or physical recreation activities
Attending theatrical or other performances
Annual events (as listed above)
Attending a social event at the pub, club or casino
Shopping
Other
HISTORICAL DATA
This survey has only been undertaken once, as a supplement to the October 1996 Monthly Population Survey.
DISSEMINATION
Publications
Australian Bureau of Statistics 1997, Leisure Participation, Victoria, October 1996, Cat. no. 4176.2, ABS, Canberra. Price $14.50.
Other
National Sport and Recreation Industry Database and Directory (NSRIDD).
CONTACT
In the first instance, refer to To obtain data or further information in the Introduction to this directory.
Assistant Director
Statistical Consultancy
Australian Bureau of Statistics
GPO Box 2796Y
MELBOURNE VIC 3001
Telephone: Melbourne 03 9615 7384
Facsimile: Melbourne 03 9615 7798
Email: client.services@abs.gov.au
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