Zoological parks and Botanic gardens
Zoological parks and aquariums are primarily engaged in the breeding, preservation, study and display of native and/or exotic fauna in captivity, and are accessible to the general public. Similarly, botanic gardens have been established to collect, study, exchange and display plants for research and for the education and enjoyment of the public.
In 2005-06, the ABS conducted a survey to determine attendance at Zoological parks and Botanic gardens. Almost 5.4 million Australians aged 15 years and over visited a Botanic garden, and around 5.7 million visited a Zoological park in the twelve months prior to being interviewed between July 2005 and June 2006.
Residents of Western Australia had the highest attendance rates for Zoological parks (43%) while Australian Capital Territory residents recorded the highest attendance rates for Botanic gardens (44%).
9.4 Attendance at zoological parks and botanic gardens(a), By State and Territory - 2005-06(b)
|New South Wales |
|South Australia |
|Western Australia |
|Northern Territory |
|Australian Capital Territory |
|(a) Includes other wildlife parks, aquariums and marine parks. |
|(b) Twelve months before interview in 2005-06. |
|ABS, Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, 2005-06 (cat. no. 4114.0). |
For Zoological parks, those aged 25-44 years were more likely to attend than any other age group. The presence of children was also an important factor for attendance at Zoological parks, although it seemed to have little bearing on rates of attendance at Botanic gardens.
9.5 ATTENDANCE AT ZOOLOGICAL PARKS AND BOTANIC GARDENS(a), By age - 2005-06(b)
9.6 ATTENDANCE AT ZOOLOGICAL PARKS AND BOTANIC GARDENS(a), By household type - 2005-06(b)