Questacon and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today launched a new exhibition that allows people to explore and connect with Australia’s richest statistical resource – the Census.
Developed by Questacon in partnership with the ABS, the Census Experience exhibition tells the story of Australia using 100 years of data collected from the first Census in 1911 through to the most recent in 2011.
The exhibition was officially launched by Acting Australian Statistician Jonathan Palmer and Questacon Director Professor Graham Durant.
At the launch, Mr Palmer said, “This exhibition celebrates 100 years of national Census taking in Australia, and it provides a fun, engaging and educational way for visitors to interact with and explore the latest Census data.”
Professor Durant said, “Census data tells a fascinating story about the history of our nation, and the exhibition has generated discussion and offered some often surprising insights into our own backyard.”
The Census Experience comprises four interactive exhibits that allow visitors to explore local, state and territory and Australian data from the latest Census, and take a closer look at where they sit within data categories such as age, sex, occupation, ancestry, country of birth, language spoken at home, religion, motor vehicles and dwelling structure.
Visitors can get a statistical snapshot from each Census Postal Area via an interactive map of Australia. Whether viewing their birthplace or current home town, the map shows data from 2011 Census data, such as average household numbers, modes of transport and whether there’s an internet connection to the home.
They can also view statistics related to the ancestry of Australians, providing a fascinating insight into the cultural make-up of our nation as of 2011. The eye-catching Data Cube helps visualise key Census statistics through brightly coloured LED lights.
Experience the Census for yourself – interact with the exhibits and see what kind of a story Census data can tell you about you.
The exhibition is open to the public and will be at Questacon until the end of March, before being toured by the ABS.
