2901.0 - Census Dictionary, 2001  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/04/2001   
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Contents

Major Statistical Region (MSR)
Major urban
Manufactured home estates
Maps
Marina
Marital status
Married de facto
Married registered
Median income
Method of Travel to Work (MTWP)
Migrant
Migration
Migratory Collection District
Mnemonics
Mobility
Mortgage
Mother
Motorbikes
Multiple family households
Municipality



Major Statistical Region (MSR)

Major Statistical Regions (MSR) divide each of the five larger States, NSW, Vic, Qld, SA and WA into two geographical areas: one equates with the Capital City Statistical Division and the other with the balance of the State. Due to population size limitations, Tasmania, Northern Territory, the Australian Capital Territory and Other Territories each consist of only one MSR corresponding to the whole of the State/Territory.

For more information refer to Statistical Geography Volume 1: Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) 2001 (Cat. no. 1216.0).

Major urban

See Section of State.

Manufactured home estates

Manufactured home estates are land or estates developed specifically for manufactured homes, and on which manufactured homes are installed, or are to be installed.

A manufactured home is a self-contained dwelling that is built off-site and then transported to the estate for installation. This includes any associated structures that form part of the dwelling.

Within the development there must be reticulated water, sewerage, drainage and electricity connected to each lot. There must also be some form of community facilities and transport services available, and reasonable access to medical care, recreational facilities, etc.

This category, of the variable Dwelling Location (DLOD) specifically excludes all retirement villages. See also Dwelling, Dwelling Type (DWTD).

Maps

See Reference maps.

Marina

See Caravans, houseboats, etc.

Marital status

There are two variables that may be used to identify a person's marital status, they are Registered Marital Status (MSTP) and Social Marital Status (MDCP).

Registered Marital Status (MSTP) reports responses to the question 'What is the person's present marital status?' and refers to the legal status of the person, and not necessarily his/her current living arrangement. The output categories are:

  • never married;
  • widowed;
  • divorced;
  • separated; and
  • married.

Social Marital Status (MDCP) reports responses to the question 'What is the person's relationship to Person 1/Person 2?'. The output categories are:

  • married in a registered marriage;
  • married in a de facto marriage; and
  • not married.

In the Social Marital Status classification a response of husband/wife to the relationship question results in a person being classified as 'Married in a registered marriage', regardless of that person's response to the question about present marital status.

Married de facto: A de facto marriage exists when the relationship between two people (of the same or opposite sex, who live together in the same household), is reported as either: de facto, partner, common law husband/wife/spouse, lover, boyfriend, or girlfriend.

Married Registered: A registered marriage may be reported in both the Registered Marital Status (MSTP) variable ('married'), and the Social Marital Status (MDCP) variable ('married in a registered marriage').

The counts of people in registered marriages differ depending on which variable is being used. For a detailed discussion of this variation see Married registered.

Not Married: The term not married, as used in the Social Marital Status (MDCP) classification, refers to a person who is not living with another person in either a registered marriage or a de facto marriage. This includes persons who live alone, with other family members, and those in shared accommodation.

See also Married Registered, Registered Marital Status (MSTP), Social Marital Status (MDCP).

Married de facto

See Marital status.

Married registered

A registered marriage may be reported in both Registered Marital Status (MSTP) and Social Marital Status (MDCP). Registered Marital Status (MSTP) is coded from Question 6 'What is the person's present marital status?'. Social Marital Status (MDCP) is derived from the relationship question (Question 5).

The counts of people in registered marriages differ depending on which variable is used. Some of the reasons for this variation are as follows:

  • A person may live alone, in a group house, or with other relatives and still be legally married. If this is the case he/she would have a social marital status of 'not married' and a registered marital status of 'married'.
  • A person currently living with a partner in a de facto marriage may report himself/herself as married in the marital status question. In this case he/she would have a social marital status of 'married in a de facto marriage' and a registered marital status of 'married'.
  • A person in a de facto marriage may report a relationship to Person 1 of 'husband/wife' because he or she may feel this best describes the relationship, but may answer 'never married' in the marital status question this results in a social marital status of 'married in a registered marriage', and a registered marital status of 'never married'. See also Marital status.

Median income

Median income is the estimated mid point of the distribution of individual responses for a given income range. As individual income data are collected in ranges for the Census, a uniform distribution of responses within each range is assumed, in order to calculate the median value.

For information on how medians are used in the derivation of Family Income (FINF) and Household Income (HIND), refer to the relevant section.

See also Family Income (FINF), Household Income (HIND), Individual Income (INCP).

Method of Travel to Work (MTWP)

This variable records up to three methods, or means, of travel to work for each person aged 15 years and over who was employed during the week before the Census. The data are used in Journey to Work (JTW) analysis, and transport planning.

The question on method of travel (Question 41) allows for multiple answers in all categories except walked only, worked at home, and did not go to work; for example, a journey to work by car as the driver, by ferry and then bus, would be recorded as such, i.e. all three modes would be coded.

The response options for MTWP were expanded for the 2001 Census. The 1996 method of travel Ferry/Tram was split in two, and the option of Truck was added. Tram includes light rail.

Statistics gathered from this question give an indication of the way people travelled to work on census day, however, some issues in practical application of the statistics should be noted when they are used in conjunction with Journey to Work (JTW) data.

The following points should be particularly noted:

  • Method of travel to work and journey to work travel involve different time periods. Statistics on method of travel relate to 7 August 2001, while journey to work statistics relate to the main job held last week, meaning the week before the Census. For example, a person may have been working in the centre of Sydney on 7 August 2001 and have travelled there by train but, in the week before the Census, may have been working in an outer suburb of Sydney and travelled there by car.
  • A person who had a job last week may have been unemployed, retired, or on leave on 7 August 2001 and did not go to work on that day. On the other hand, a person may have been unemployed last week but have a designated method of travel to work on 7 August 2001 because he/she had since become employed.

See also Information Consultancy, Journey to Work (JTW), Table, Working population.

Migrant

See Year of Arrival in Australia (YARP).

Migration

See Birthplace, Internal migration, Year of Arrival in Australia (YARP).

Migratory Collection District

Off-Shore, Shipping and Migratory Collection Districts (CDs), contain people who are enumerated on off-shore oil rigs, drilling platforms and the like, aboard ship in Australian waters, or on an overnight journey by train or bus. There is one such category for each State and the Northern Territory.

Australians in Antarctica are within the scope of the Census and are coded to an Off-Shore CD in Tasmania.

Mnemonics

Some of the entries in this dictionary describe variables on the census unit record file. Each variable has a mnemonic, e.g. HIND for Household Income. Mnemonics are a convenient shorthand method of describing variables on the census unit record file. Mnemonics are often used by clients when specifying customised tables.

It is essential that census data users know whether the variable relates to a dwelling, a family or a person. The last character of the mnemonic is therefore important: it is a D for dwelling, an F for family, or a P for person.

Complete classifications for census variables are listed in Section 1 2001 Census Classifications. See also entries for individual variables.

Mobility

See Internal migration.

Mortgage

See Housing Loan Repayments (HLRD).

Mother

See Parent.

Motorbikes

See Number of Motorbikes and Scooters (MCYCD).

Multiple family households

For the 2001 Census, a maximum of three families can be identified in one household. In cases where more than three families are identified in a household, the first three families are coded and other persons are classified as either related family members of the primary family or non-family members.

Relevant variables are Family Type (FMTF), Family Number (FNOF) and Relationship Between Families (FRLF).

See also Family, Households.

Municipality

A type of Local Government Area. See also Local Government Area (LGA).




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