The Census is an extremely important tool which helps the Australian Bureau of Statistics accurately count the number of people in Australia, their key characteristics, and the dwellings in which they live.
Taking place every five years, the Census offers an insight into the past and present, as well as a glimpse into the future. You could say it acts as Australia’s very own crystal ball, as the information attained from each Census provides the country’s key decision makers with a crucial snapshot of Australia’s demographic. To illustrate just how much Australia’s changed since the Census begin in 1901, here’s a great resource I found on the ABC News website – it’s fascinating! http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/census-2011/
This year’s Census night was on the 9th August and, with the ABS aware of what a tech savvy nation we’ve become, forms were able to be submitted online. They have even estimated that a whopping 30% of Census forms will now be completed online, via eCensus (I hear Census collectors breathing a sigh of relief)!
So what made this a great event? Location is always important and Doltone House offered the perfect location for this year’s Census launch, offering a fantastic interior, as well as a picturesque outdoor space with views of the Harbour Bridge. Combine the stunning location with humorous Tripe JJJ presenters, engaging speakers (Minister Shorten, Australian Statistican Mr Brian Pink, Uncle Charles Madden and Josh Grace from Leo Burnett), energetic entertainment from The Last Kinection, and mouth-watering canapés – the event had all the ingredients to launch this year’s Census with a bang. Staying true to the theme of this year’s Census, the event truly ‘Shed some light on Census night’ and really reiterated the importance of filling out a Census form.
We’ve certainly all completed our forms, have you?
To find out more info on the Census, go to: http://www.abs.gov.au/census
