Year Book Australia 2010

Year Book Australia (cat. no. 1301.0) has changed from an annual frequency to 2 yearly frequency.

The next issue is due to be published mid-2010.

Search inside Year Books with Google
Google Book Search now includes Year Book Australia issues.
For example, a search for 'education statistics Australia 1930' will take you directly to the Year Book page listing school statistics for 1930.

All Year Book Australia issues from the first 1908 edition (coverage from 1901) onwards are available full-text online via the ABS website.

State & Regional Homelessness

State and territory Counting the Homeless 2006 reports were released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) today. Based on 2006 Census data, the reports provide statistics about homelessness at a regional level.

They include discussion of characteristics of people experiencing homelessness and provide extensive analyses of their circumstances, drawn from experience of people working with the homeless.

The national Counting the Homeless 2006 report was published by the ABS last September:
Australian Census Analytic Program: Counting the Homeless, 2006 (cat. no. 2050.0).

Census Tablebuilder

Bigger ... Faster ... Better ...

The much anticipated TableBuilder (cat. no 2065.0) is scheduled for release between August and September 2009.

TableBuilder is an online tool which will allow you to create your own custom tables of 2006 Census data.

TableBuilder is designed to provide clients with the highest degree of freedom in selecting and combining data items and the geographical areas most suited to their needs. It allows you to choose to count persons, families or dwellings, to select the variables to include in your table, and how to structure the data.

You can access data for areas as small as a Collection District (approximately 225 households) or as large as an entire state or territory or all of Australia. TableBuilder also allows you the freedom to select and combine areas and data that interest you by creating your own customised geographic areas or custom data groups.

Now is your chance to pre-register for TableBuilder. For only $1655, TableBuilder provides you with unprecedented access to 2006 Census data and enables you to build all the tables you require.
For more information, including FAQs and list of TableBuilder variables, visit the Tablebuilder page on the ABS website.

Health Literacy

Australian Social Trends (cat. no. 4102.0) presents statistical analysis and commentary on a wide range of current social issues.

The June issue includes a feature article on Health Literacy which uses data from the 2006 Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALLS) (cat. no 4228.0). ALLS provides information on the knowledge and skills of 15-74 year olds in a number of literacy domains including health literacy. The articles presents information and analysis of health literacy levels, self assessed health status and the interactions between health and education, income and employment status.

This issue also includes features articles about transitions in people's living arrangements, how they work and student achievements in maths and science.

Counting the Population

The recently released, Population Estimates: Concepts, Sources and Methods, 2009 (cat. no 3228.0.55.001) provides a description of the concepts, sources and methods used by the ABS in the production of population estimates.

This publication is a great resource if you're interested in finding out more about:

• the range of population estimates produced by the ABS
• some of the major uses for these population estimates
• the methods and data used to produce population estimates at the national/state and statistical local area (SLA) levels
• the method used to produce population estimates for customised geography
• components of population growth and of selected sub-populations
• the data sources used to produce population estimates

For additional information on population concepts, see Information Paper: Population Concepts, 2008 (cat. no. 3107.0.55.006).

Focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics

The theme for National Reconciliation Week in 2009 is ‘See the person, not the stereotype’.


Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples live in all parts of Australia, from the large cities to small country towns and very remote communities. They speak a multitude of languages and belong to hundreds of distinct descent groups.

The ABS has produced a number of snapshot articles about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Home Ownership: A snapshot, 2006 (4722.0.55.005)
• Diabetes in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, 2004-05: A snapshot (4724.0.55.001)
• Law and justice statistics - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: A snapshot (4722.0.55.003)
• Older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: A snapshot (4722.0.55.002)
• The Health and Wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women: A snapshot (4722.0.55.001)
• Tobacco Smoking - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: A snapshot (4722.0.55.004)

National Reconciliation Week takes place between 27th May and 3rd June with Reconciliation events held across Australia each day. For more information check out the Reconciliation Australia website.

Residential and Workplace Mobility, and Implications for Travel

Over the three years to October 2008, around 2.7 million people in New South Wales and Victoria moved usual residence.

Data has now been released from the Residential and Workplace Mobility, and Implications for Travel survey, which was conducted in October 2008 (cat. no. 3240.0).

The publication provides a range of information on people in NSW and Victoria including:

• demographic characteristics of movers and non-movers;
• the reasons why people changed their usual residence;
• the reasons why people changed their current suburb of employment;
• and the modes of transport typically used to travel to the current suburb of employment.

Other Australian Bureau of Statistic (ABS) resources relating to the topic include:

• Locations of Work, Australia, Nov 2008, cat. no. 6275.0
• Labour Mobility, Australia, Feb 2008, cat. no. 6209.0
• Housing Choices, NSW, Oct 2004, cat. no. 3240.1
• Population Mobility, Victoria, Oct 1999, cat. no. 3237.2
• Transport Patterns and Preferences, New South Wales, October 1996, cat. no. 9201.1
• Travel to Work, School and Shops, Victoria, October 1994, cat. no. 9201.2

Another interesting resource: The NSW Ministry of Transport's Journey to Work 2006 publication provides information to assist those using the Transport Data Centre's 2006 Journey to Work dataset. This data is derived from place of work and other employment information collected in the ABS's Census of Population and Housing.