Notes on Dwelling Characteristics
Twelve questions relating to private dwellings were asked of the householder
in the 1976 Census. Another three questions on the back of the census schedule
were completed by the collector. Questions asked of the householder related to
characteristics of the dwelling, while the collector completed questions
relating to dwelling structure.
For census purposes, dwellings are divided into two main groups: private
dwellings (which may be occupied or unoccupied) and non-private dwellings.
A private dwelling is normally a house or flat, but it can also be a tent,
houseboat, or caravan if standing on its own block of land. A tent or caravan
is not considered to be a private dwelling if it is occupied by members of a
household resident in an adjacent dwelling, i.e. the tent or caravan is
considered to be part of that adjacent dwelling.
An occupied private dwelling is defined as the premises occupied by a household
on census night. For census purposes, a household is a person or group of
persons who live together and eat together as a single domestic unit. It is
possible, then, for more than one household to live in one house or structure.
For example, a lodger who lives with a family and provides all his food for
himself is not a member of the family's household but constitutes a separate
household, and therefore completes a separate householder's schedule. Because
an occupied dwelling is defined in this way, the number of households and
number of occupied dwellings is identical and the number of occupied dwellings
in an area, as defined for census purposes, may often be greater than the known
number of structures.
An unoccupied private dwelling is a structure built specifically for living
purposes and capable of being lived in, but unoccupied at the time of the
census. Vacant houses, holiday houses, huts, cabins (other than seasonal
worker's quarters) and houseboats are therefore counted as unoccupied
dwellings; but vacant tents, garages and caravans (if not normally occupied)
are not. Only private dwellings can be classified as unoccupied. Unoccupied
dwellings include dwellings vacant because they have been newly completed,
dwellings vacant for demolition or repair, holiday homes, dwellings to let and
dwellings where the household was absent on census night.
The classification 'Reason unoccupied' (RUN) relates only to unoccupied private
dwellings, and is based on the observation of the census collector.
Non-private dwellings(NPDs) are hotels, hostels, non-private boarding
houses, gaols, religious and charitable institutions, defence establishments
and other communal dwellings. Usually, occupants of such dwellings will be
using communal facilities such as hotel dining-rooms or mess halls. A caravan
in a caravan park (whether permanently or temporarily located) is treated as
part of a non-private dwelling, as are self-contained units provided by
commercial enterprises such as hotels, motels or guest-houses.
Separate categories for 'campers out' and 'migratory' are included in the NPD
classification.
The dwelling characteristics outlined below are discussed in more detail in
Information Paper No. 13 - Dwellings (2125.0).
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Bathroom water heating (fuel and power used)
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derived from answers to question 7 | BAT |
This characteristic is relevant only to occupied private dwellings. Only the
main fuel or power used is recorded.
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Bathroom- sole or shared use of
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derived from answers to question 10 | BTH |
This characteristic is relevant only to occupied private dwellings.
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Bedrooms-number of
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derived from answers to question 10 | BED |
This characteristic is relevant only to occupied private dwellings. Output
categories are '1-5 bedrooms', '6 or more bedrooms', 'no bedroom', 'not
stated' and 'not applicable'.
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Building - number of units
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question H2 NUS |
This characteristic is relevant only to occupied private dwellings.
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Cooking (fuel or power used)
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derived from answers to question H7 | CKG |
This characteristic is relevant only to occupied private dwellings, and only the main fuel or power used is recorded.
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Date built - private dwelling
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question H3 DAT |
This characteristic is relevant only to occupied private dwellings. Output
codes are 'built on or after 30 June 1971', 'built before 30 June 1971', 'not
stated' and not applicable'.
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Dwelling type
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question H1 CDW |
Individual codes are supplied for types of occupied private dwellings and
non-private dwellings. Separate codes are provided for unoccupied private
dwellings, other categories (including migratory and campers out) and not
stated..
Where the respondent has failed to supply this information, it is imputed on
the basis of special rules, a different set of rules applying to private and
non-private dwellings. For a private dwelling, the type of structure, sole or
shared use of bathroom and kitchen is used to impute the type of dwelling. For
a non-private dwelling other information, which may involve referring the
query back to the collector responsible, is used to determine the type of
dwelling.
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Fuel or power used for living room heating
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derived from answers to question H7 | HET |
This characteristic is relevant only to occupied private dwellings, and only the main fuel or power used is recorded.
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Kitchen - sole or shared use of
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derived from answers to question H10 | KIT |
This characteristic is relevant only to occupied private dwellings.
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Lighting - fuel or power used
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derived from answers to question H17 | LIT |
This characteristic is relevant only to occupied private dwellings, and only the main fuel or power used is recorded.
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Material of outer walls
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question H4 MAT |
This characteristic is based on replies supplied by the respondent for all
private occupied dwellings. Where more than one material was used in the
construction of outer walls respondents were requested to state the main one
only; however, where more than one material was stated, the first stated only
was recorded.
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Mortgage - first monthly payment
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derived from answers to question H12 | FST |
This characteristic relates only to occupied private dwellings being purchased
by any usual member of the household and with at least one mortgage on the
dwelling. Amounts are listed in single dollars from $1 to $398, then '$399 and
over', 'not stated' and 'not applicable'. Because of price and income changes
between censuses, caution must be exercised when making any intercensal
comparisons of this item.
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Mortgage payments -total monthly
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derived from answers to question H12 | ALL |
This characteristic relates only to occupied private dwellings being purchased
by any usual member of the household and with at least one mortgage on the
dwelling. Amounts are listed in single dollars from $1 to $398, then '$399 and
over', 'not stated' and 'not applicable'. Because of price and income changes
between censuses, caution must be exercised when making any intercensal
comparisons of this item.
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Mortgages -number held
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derived from answers to question H12 | MRT |
This characteristic relates only to occupied private dwellings being purchased by any usual member of the household and with at least one mortgage on the dwelling.
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Mortgage - other than first (monthly payment)
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derived from answers to question H12 | SEC |
This characteristic relates only to occupied private dwellings being purchased
by any usual member of the household and with at least one mortgage on the
dwelling. Amounts are listed in single dollars from $1 to $398, then '$399 and
over', 'not stated' and 'not applicable'. Because of price and income changes
between censuses, caution must be exercised when making any intercensal
comparisons of this item.
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Mortgage - source of first
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derived from answers to question H12 | ONE |
This characteristic relates only to occupied private dwellings being purchased by any usual member of the household and with a mortgage on the dwelling.
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Mortgage - source of other than first
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derived from answers to question H12 | OTH |
This characteristic relates only to occupied private dwellings being purchased by any usual member of the household and with more than one mortgage on the dwelling. Up to three second or further mortgage sources are recorded, but the classification shows a limited number of combinations.
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Motor vehicles - number of
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question H8 VEH |
Information on the number of registered motor vehicles owned or used by members
of a private household, and garaged at or parked near the dwelling on census
night, was requested in question H4. Motor bikes, motor scooters and tractors
were excluded but company vehicles kept at home were included.
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Nature of occupancy
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questions H11 and H12 NOC |
This characteristic can relate only to occupied private dwellings It combines
information on whether a dwelling is owned (subject to mortgage or otherwise)
or is rented (furnished or unfurnished, and type of landlord). The nature of
occupancy classification distinguishes between 'owner' and 'purchaser' (of
dwelling subject to mortgage or contract of sale); where the information
provided indicates ownership but is not clear on whether a dwelling is or is
not subject to mortgage, the nature of occupancy is coded to owner/ purchaser
undefined.
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Non-European dwelling identifier
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computed during processing | NED |
This characteristic relates only to private dwellings where at least one
occupant stated that their race was other than European. The classification of
the dwelling is determined by the non-European race of the occupants in the
following order of priority - head of household, spouse of head of household,
remainder of household in order of enumeration. Thus for example, if the head
of the household's race is Aboriginal, then regardless of the race of the
other occupants, the dwelling will be labelled Aboriginal. Output codes for
this characteristic are 'Aboriginal dwelling', 'Torres Strait Islander
dwelling', 'other non-European dwelling' and 'not applicable'.
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Occupants of dwelling - number of
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computed during processing | IMD |
This characteristic relates to both private and non-private dwellings, and is
set to zero for unoccupied private dwellings.
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Rent - amount paid per week
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question H11 RNT |
This characteristic relates only to rented occupied private dwellings. Census
classifications for RNT are shown by single dollars up to $98, then '$99 and
over', 'not stated' and 'not applicable.
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Rooms in private dwellings - number of
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derived from answers to question H10 | TOT |
This characteristic relates only to occupied private dwellings and includes
categories for one, two, three etc. up to seven rooms, 'eight rooms or more',
'not stated' and 'not applicable'.
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Reason unoccupied
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collector's question C3 RUN |
The characteristic 'reason unoccupied' relates only to unoccupied private
dwellings, and is based on the observation of the census collector.
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Rural Dwelling
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question 9 RUR |
This characteristic relates to occupied private dwellings only. A rural
dwelling is defined as a dwelling situated on a holding of one hectare or
more, where the holding is used mainly for agricultural or pastoral purposes.
Output codes are 'dwelling not a rural dwelling', 'rural dwelling', 'not
stated' and 'not applicable'.
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Sewerage disposal - method of
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question H6 SEW |
This characteristic relates to occupied private dwellings only.
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Source of water supply
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question H5 WAT |
This characteristic relates to occupied private dwellings only.
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Structure of dwelling
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collector's question Cl STR |
The dwelling structure classification is based on replies supplied by the
collector through external observations of the structure type of private
dwellings.
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Use of facilities (bathroom / kitchen)
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derived from answers to question H10 | SKB |
This characteristic relates to occupied private dwellings and is derived from
responses to question H10. Output categories are 'shared bathroom only',
'shared kitchen only', 'shared bathroom and kitchen', 'sole use of bathroom
and kitchen', 'all other categories', 'not stated' and 'not applicable'.
