8560.0 - Museums, Australia, 2003-04  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/05/2005   
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MEDIA RELEASE

May 27, 2005
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
69/2005

31 Million Admissions to Australia's Museums

There were 31 million admissions to Australia's museums and art galleries during 2003-04, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.

Two-thirds (66%) of total admissions were free and one-third were paid.

Just over half (51%) of our museums and art galleries were social history museums, 29% were historic properties/sites and 12% were art museums/galleries. In total there were 1,300 museum and art gallery locations operating in Australia at the end of June 2004.

Museums and art galleries held 55 million museum objects/artworks (at the end of June 2004) however, only 10% were on display for public viewing. Victoria held the most (38%) museum objects/artworks, followed by New South Wales with 30%.

There were 7,600 people working in museums and art galleries at the end of June 2004. At the same time there were also 20,400 volunteer workers. These volunteers worked a total of 343,000 hours during the month of June 2004, or an average of 17 hours per volunteer for the month. Museums employing less than 20 people accounted for over three-quarters (78%) of all volunteers.

During 2003-04, museums received a total of $920 million in income. Government funding accounting for two-thirds (68%) of all income. Fundraising accounted for a further 10% of income and paid admissions 6%.

Further information is in Museums, Australia 2003-04 (cat. no 8560.0).