By - glenn the census expert
Who are Australia's volunteers?
The 2006 Census was the first to ask questions relating to unpaid work in Australia, particularly child care, assistance to people with a disability, and volunteering. The question on volunteering was fairly broad, just asking whether a...
City of Launceston – Tasmania’s largest council joins the .id community
Residents of Launceston are younger than the Tasmanian and Australian average, but the ageing of the baby boomers is the dominant population trend. The area is relatively low income but with an increasing high...
Western Australia – Is it all about mining?
Western Australia is often quoted as the “powerhouse” of the Australian economy, due to its huge mining wealth. From gold in the Kalgoorlie area, to the Pilbara’s iron ore, Argyle diamonds, Collie’s coal,...
Counting employment – which figures to use
One of the most important bits of economic information a council can have is about employment. However there are different ways of measuring employment and it can be confusing figuring out which one to use.This...
Is the baby bonus responsible for the high birth rate in Australia?
The increase in the Australian birth rate since 2002 is well documented, and was largely unexpected, as most of us expected the trend towards smaller families and more childless couples to continue for the...
Understanding the new ABS Geography part 4. SA3s and SA4s
The ABS is introducing a new geographic classification, which means the geography for which statistics are generated from a wide variety of collections, including the Census, is going to change radically. This...
Is Melbourne’s population going to overtake Sydney’s?
The Age carried an article a couple of weeks ago, after ABS’s release of Regional Population Growth, about Melbourne’s record population growth over the past 9 years, and how it may overtake Sydney’s, if these...
Did “The Force” influence the Census?
Happy Star Wars Day everyone – May the 4th be with you!….In line with this theme, here’s a brief look at the “Jedi” phenomenon and how it affected the Australian Census.
Dominant-emerging analysis – a simple technique for turning data into knowledge
At training sessions for profile.id and economy.id, we often get asked how to interpret some of the data presented in these tools. We suggest a simple but powerful technique called “dominant-emerging” analysis...
New ABS Geography part 3. Replacing SLAs with SA2s
Probably the most radical change in the new ABS geography is the move to SA2s (“Statistical Area Level 2” – another imaginative name…). These replace Statistical Local Areas (SLAs), which were always a bit...
Impressions of Roebourne Shire, our most remote population forecast
Here at .id we’ve just finished our first population forecast for a remote area, the Shire of Roebourne, WA, and I was fortunate enough to be able to travel there recently to launch the forecast and run a...
Introducing the SA1, your new Collection District
As part of the new statistical geography called the ASGS (see earlier blog – The new geography standard – what is it and how does it affect me?), the ABS is fundamentally changing the boundaries on which Census...
Are homeless people counted in the Census?
We commonly get asked how homeless people are counted in the Census. Many councils have specific policies addressing the needs of the homeless, and accurate data is difficult to come by. The short answer is,...
The power of data download
With the user-friendly interface of profile.id, it’s easy to get most information you are seeking, by navigating around using the menu options and tabs. But if you are seeking specific information, data...
Who is moving to the Gold Coast?
The Gold Coast is an iconic Australian place, which most Australians have some familiarity with. As of June 2009, the Gold Coast was the largest non-capital city in the nation, and the 6th largest city over...
What is it like to work on the Census?
The Census is the biggest peacetime recruitment exercise Australia conducts, and Census Collectors are the foot soldiers of the operation. The ABS recently launched their Area Supervisor recruitment campaign....
The new ABS geography standard part 1 – what is it and how does it affect me?
Over the past few years, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has been working out a whole new Statistical Geography for Australia.
How to identify a gentrifying area?
Pilates, goat’s cheese: there goes the neighbourhood
Australia’s population growth slows
Australia’s record population growth rate has begun to slow, driven by a decline in overseas migration, according to the latest issue of Australian Demographic Statistics published by the Australian Bureau of...
Should I use Enumerated or Usual Residence data?
One of the most common questions we are asked about Census data is whether it’s best to use Enumerated or Usual Residence data when making statements about populations. Our Census product, profile.id, gives...
