We continue to be an exhibition-focused national cultural institution offering visitors free access to high-quality permanent exhibits from the National Maritime Collection. We continue to grow the National Maritime Collection to help us to tell the story of Australia through the maritime lens. We aspire to be the preferred cultural experience of international visitors to Sydney.

Criterion

The key measures of performance are:

• number of paid onsite visitors annually
• number of unpaid onsite visitors annually
• number of people participating in public programs
• number of major exhibitions delivered annually
• percentage of ticketed international visitors onsite.

Criterion source

2018–19 Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS), p 141; 2018–22 Corporate Plan, p 20

Results against performance criterion

Methodology

The methodology for calculation of onsite visitation is described above (see ‘Priority: A world-class, compelling museum precinct) and elaborated in the framework for onsite visitation at Annex A .

A temporary exhibition is considered ‘major’ if it is over 250 square metres, has a budget over $100K, and has a marketing campaign attached to it.

A ‘public program’ excludes school learning programs. Public programs ranged from participation in the ROV ‘underwater drone’ program and special event programs (such as NAIDOC Week), through to our stroller tours for new parents. Onsite ‘public program’ participant numbers are determined by aggregating data of actual participation collected onsite by manual counting. The data is compiled and aggregated at the operational level.

The percentage of international visitors onsite is the proportion of total ticketed visitors who identify as foreigners at front of house (collected through the AXPOS system). Total ticketed visitors are paid ticketed visitors (ie visitors who have purchased an entry ticket, including tourism and group booking tickets and new Members) and unpaid ticketed visitors (ie visitors who have received a free gallery ticket, including tourism and group booking tickets for the galleries only).

Analysis

Onsite visitation and exhibitions

As explained above, total onsite visitation in 2018–19 was the highest on record.

Paid visitation was slightly ahead of target and has continued the upward trend of recent years. This is a good result considering the disruptive capital works on site (5 February–28 March 2019) and the absences of HMAS Vampire for docking (9 August–23 September 2018) and Endeavour when voyaging or in refit (23 January–27 February 2019 and 6 March– 24 May 2019).

Unpaid visitation was very strong due to several free indoor and outdoor exhibitions and free entry to the public galleries and rooftop projections, including during Vivid Sydney. This result reflects an upward trend since the introduction of free entry to the museum in November 2015.

The following table summarises the museum’s exhibition offer this year. Information about the exhibitions, including rooftop projections, is included in the Annual Report (see Exhibitions and attractions).

The major exhibitions in 2018–19 were Wildlife Photographer of the Year (2018 and 2019), Container: the box that changed the world, Gapu Monuk Saltwater – Journey to Sea Country, James Cameron: Challenging the Deep, On Sharks & Humanity, and Aquatic Imaginarium. In addition, a new permanent exhibition, Au Karem ira Lamar Lu – Ghost nets of the ocean, was installed this year in the museum’s foyer.

In 2018–19, entry fees applied to four major exhibitions and to Action Stations and HMB Endeavour. The exhibitions for which entry fees were charged were: Wildlife Photographer of the Year (2018 and 2019), Aquatic Imaginarium and James Cameron: Challenging the Deep.

Action Stations provided paying visitors with access to the museum’s naval vessels, HMAS Onslow, HMAS Vampire and HMAS Advance. Paying visitors could also visit the Endeavour replica, which was berthed at the museum for most of the year. The other vessels in the museum’s floating collection could be observed by all visitors from the museum’s wharves for no charge.

Some highlights of the free offer this year included the outdoor exhibition Container: the box that changed the world, the outdoor exhibition On Sharks & Humanity and the critically acclaimed Gapu Monuk Saltwater – Journey to Sea Country. We also offered 191 hours of rooftop projections, which are very popular with audiences in the Darling Harbour precinct. The standout was Vivid Sydney, which attracted about 54,284 visitors to the precinct over 23 days (24 May–15 June 2019).

International visitors

The proportion of international visitors to the museum (36.4%) exceeded target (34%) and the total number of international visitors (83,085) was ahead of target (76,955) and ahead of last year. The museum’s ‘China-ready’ tourism initiatives again contributed to China being the highest source of international visitors for the fourth year running, behind the United States of America, United Kingdom and New Zealand.

Participation in public programs

The museum conducted public programs in 2018–19 for more than 40,000 people. The number of participants exceeded the target but was less than last year, because this was the off-year for the biennial Classic & Wooden Boat Festival.