Guidelines for locating Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander 2001 population figures

The VTPU receives occasional enquiries about the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander or indigenous population living in a catchment area.  As detailed local population figures can be difficult to find, the VTPU provides the following guidelines.

Indigenous Profiles are available on the website of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), containing 2001 Census figures for a specified Local government Area (LGA) or Statistical Local Area (SLA).  Included in the profile are the population by age and sex, language spoken, religion, education, and dwellings.  To locate profiles for your catchment area, follow these steps:

1. Determine the name of the LGA, or SLA in which you are interested. 
2. Go to the home page of the ABS http://www.abs.gov.au/.
3. In the search window at the top right, type: “Indigenous profile Manningham” (or whatever LGA/SLA you are interested in).
4. Select the top link from the list of links that appear
5. Click on the DOWNLOAD NOW link, next to Indigenous Profile (the second profile).
6. Click on the OPEN button on the dialogue box that appears
7. A window will appear with a zipped Excel file.  Double-click on it, and it will open with information on the population by age and sex, language spoken, religion, education, and dwellings.

Also useful is the ABS report, Population Distribution Aboriginal and Torres StraitIsland Australians 2001, which has quite detailed figures for each state, but not age or sex breakdowns.  Click here, click on the DETAILS tab, then download the report.

Last updated 17 November, 2006.  For enquiries contact Dr Yvonne Stolk, yvonne.stolk@svhm.org.au.