Australia Yearbook - 2001

Chapter 21—Service industries 773
Employment in the industry totalled 5,636
persons, of whom 65% were employed full-time.
There were also 8,443 volunteers working in the
industry during June 1997. For the year 1996–97
there were 8,482,500 paid admissions to museums,
generating admissions income of $41m, which
represented an average admittance price of $4.83.
In addition there were 8,304,300 free admissions.
Total income of the industry in 1996–97 was $425m.
In addition to the $41m in admissions income, the
other main item of income was government funding
of $271m, which accounted for 64% of all income.
Expenses for the year totalled $402m, with labour
costs accounting for 45%.
Commercial art galleries
As part of the cultural industries surveys undertaken
in respect of 1996–97, the ABS conducted its first
survey of the commercial art galleries industry. The
industry is made up of businesses mainly engaged in
the display and sale of artwork. Therefore the
survey results exclude direct sales by the artist, and
sales of artwork by auction houses, art museums,
department stores etc.
As shown in table 21.35, at 30 June 1997 there
were 457 commercial art gallery businesses
operating in Australia, employing 1,156 persons.
Females accounted for 62% of total employment;
56% of females worked part-time. In comparison,
the majority (74%) of males in the industry
worked full-time.
The total income of commercial art gallery
businesses in 1996–97 was $87m. Income of
$50m was generated by the sale of artwork
owned by the business, while a further $26m was
earned from commissions on the sale of artwork
on consignment.
After expenses, the commercial art galleries
industry generated an operating profit before tax
of $2.8m in 1996–97, representing an operating
profit margin of 3.5%.
The total value of artwork sold by commercial art
galleries, either on own account or on
commission, was $131m. It is estimated that
commercial art galleries accounted for only
25% of all artwork sales in 1996–97, the remaining
sales being either direct from the artist or
through other outlets such as auction houses and
art museums. Sales of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander artwork in commercial art galleries
totalled $15m in 1996–97, 11% of total gross sales.
Sales of overseas artwork in 1996–97 totalled only
$2.5m, 2% of total gross sales.
21.34 MUSEUMS INDUSTRY—1996–97
Local
government
Units Art museums Museums
museums/art
museums
Historic
houses Total
Organisations at 30 June no. 32 102 69 21 224
Locations at 30 June no. 32 111 92 117 352
Employment at 30 June
Full-time persons 941 2 203 176 347 3 667
Part-time persons 289 1 038 268 375 1 969
Total persons 1 230 3 240 444 722 5 636
Volunteers during the month of June persons 1 654 4 300 1 745 744 8 443
Admissions
Paid admissions ’000 1 599 5 325 398 1 161 8 483
Free admissions ’000 3 162 3 351 1 599 192 8 304
Total ’000 4 762 8 676 1 997 1 353 16 787
Income
Government funding $m 80.7 157.5 18.4 14.0 270.6
Admissions income $m 9.1 22.8 1.0 8.2 41.0
Other income $m 40.5 54.3 2.7 16.1 113.5
Total $m 130.3 234.6 22.0 38.3 425.2
Expenses
Labour costs $m 48.3 106.6 9.7 16.2 180.8
Other expenses $m 61.1 128.8 9.5 21.5 221.0
Total $m 109.4 235.3 19.2 37.8 401.7
Source: Libraries and Museums, Australia, 1996–97 (8649.0).