Australia Yearbook - 2001

Chapter 12—Culture and recreation 521
12.26 AVERAGE TIME SPENT ON FREE TIME
ACTIVITIES—1997
Main
Activity
minutes
per day
All
activities
minutes
per day
Free time activities
Social and community
interaction
Socialising 11 12
Visiting entertainment and
cultural venues 5 5
Attendance at sports events 2 2
Religious activities/ritual
ceremonies 5 5
Other 22 22
Total 45 47
Recreation and leisure
Sport and outdoor activity 27 28
Games/hobbies/arts/crafts 16 20
Reading 25 37
Audio/visual media 131 257
Attendance at recreational
courses 1 1
Talking (including phone) 35 115
Other 34 47
Total 271 505
Total free time activities 316 552
Source: Time Use on Cultural/Leisure Activities, 1997
(4173.0).
Public attitudes to the arts
The November 1997 Population Survey Monitor
showed that Australians hold different views
about what range of activities is included in the
arts: 81% included plays, ballet and opera; 80%
music (concerts, orchestra and singing); 77%
painting, drawing and sculpture; 62% literature,
books and poetry; 54% craft, pottery and
weaving; 54% photography; 35% architecture and
design; and 9% sport.
Libraries were considered to be either very
important or important in the community by 95%
of the population. The corresponding figure for
museums was 77%, for performing arts venues
76% and for art galleries 72%. These levels of
support were irrespective of whether or not the
reporting individuals were users of the facilities.
A quarter of the population indicated that they
were not adequately informed about the arts,
whereas only 7% indicated that they were not
adequately informed about sport. The most
commonly used sources of information about the
arts were newspapers, magazines or books (69%)
and television (63%).
Art and craft purchases
Results from surveys conducted during 1997
show that, in the three months prior to interview,
21.4% of Australian people purchased a total of
0.9 million art items and 3.9 million craft items.
Of these, 0.7 million art items and 3.0 million
craft items were made in Australia (table 12.27).
The value of Australian made art items purchased
in the three months prior to interview was $138m
with a mean price of $195; the value of craft items
was $318m with a mean price of $107.
Extrapolated to expenditure for a full year, this
would be in the order of $550m on art items and
$1,250m on craft items.
12.27 AUSTRALIAN MADE ART AND CRAFT
PURCHASES—Purchases over 3 months, 1997(a)
Number(b)
Value(c)
Attendees
’000 $m
Art items
Paintings 334.3 84.2
Other 389.7 53.7
Total 724.0 137.9
Craft items
Pottery/ceramics 885.5 44.4
Garments/clothing 435.3 26.5
Jewellery 383.9 58.6
Wood crafts 352.9 21.7
Other 982.2 166.4
Total 3 039.8 317.5
Total art and craft items 3 763.8 455.4
(a) Purchases of Australian made art and craft in a 3 month
period. (b) Includes items where the price was not known.
(c) Excludes items where the price was not known.
Source: Art and craft purchases, 1997, Department of
Communications and the Arts.
Funding for culture
Government funding
Culture in Australia receives considerable
financial support from the Commonwealth
Government in the form of direct grants and
through the provision of taxation benefits. This
support is complemented by State, Territory and
local governments.
Total outlays for cultural funding of the
Commonwealth Government and State, Territory
and local governments for 1998–99 were
$3,750.7m. Table 12.28 shows the government
outlays on culture for 1998–99.