Remote Australia Online Atlas

What is Remote Australia Online Atlas?

Remote Australia Online Atlas (RAO Atlas) is an online tool produced by Ninti One to provide detailed data about remote Australia in a visual form.

This resource takes datasets from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and converts them into visual interactive maps displaying trends of all 194 Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) of remote and very remote Australia. It uses ABS census data from 2001, 2006 and 2011 to enable the trends to be compared across difference timeframes.

Four major themes: Demographics, Lifestyle, Labourforce and Business across remote Australia are illustrated with hundreds of datasets.

Whether your interest in remote Australia centres on a certain topic or is based on a geographical region, Ninti One’s RAO Atlas can help you find a wealth of relevant data to suit any need.

Components of the Atlases

In the each of the main Atlas screens, you will see a series of interactive windows. These provide different types of data:

  • Map of Australia (centre): This map is divided into the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ statistical local areas (SLAs) for remote and very remote Australia.
  • Data window (centre left): Displays the data values ranges for each of the SLAs depicted in different colour codes on the map, from lowest to highest values.
  • Data table (centre right): Provides all of the data of the sub-categories for the theme being viewed, and it allows particular data selections to be made which are then presented in the map, in the charts, and in the data table.
  • Pie chart (bottom left): Shows the relative sizes of each value range.
  • Bar chart (bottom centre): The data of all SLAs in increasing order, with the associated colour code value range group.
  • Series chart (bottom right): Where applicable, this chart shows the change in a data series or time (from 2001 to 2011) for the data set in question.

How to Use Remote Australia Online Atlas

1. Choose a theme

First, select one of four themes Demographics, Lifestyle, Labourforce and Business.
Use the buttons in the upper right corner of the Atlas window to change your choice.

2. Working with the interactive data windows

Each interactive data window in the RAO Atlas can be:

  • maximised or minimised using the arrows
  • resized by clicking and dragging the margins
  • closed clicking on the x button, or restored (right click)

Various other options, such as exporting, printing, filtering, etc. can be accessed by right-clicking in each window.

3. Working with data

There are many ways to work with the data:

a) The data button

The data button in the upper left corner opens a window that displays categories and sub-categories of data that can be selected (expand by clicking„). In most instances, you will see a date or value range next to a page symbol.

Click on the page symbol to get an explanation of what the data represents.

Click on the date range of interest, which will update the map and data table accordingly.

b) Individual windows

You can filter the information in each individual window, which will update in the other windows to correspond. For example, if you click on a region in the map of Australia, the data in the other windows will update to match the new data set you’re interested in.

Using the map of Australia (centre)

The map displays the statistical local areas. Each one is colour-coded in accordance with the value ranges attributed to each location for the data set being viewed. Click on any region of interest to view data attributed to it.

Alternatively, you can hover over data in the other windows, and the corresponding areas on the map will be highlighted.

Using the data window (centre left)

The RAOA accesses a huge data resource. In the data window the user can select the required information to be displayed on the map, in the data table and in charts.

The Data button opens a dialogue box which lists the various sub-theme data categories that are available, and within each of those the user can select from a number of specific data sets as listed.

Adjacent to the data set names is a link (the page symbol) to a document file which provides an explanation about the data.

Using the data table (centre right)

This table provides the details of each location for the selected data set:

  • the first column (●) indicates the value range (colour code) into which each location falls
  • the second column (page symbol) links to specific information relating to the SLAs
  • the third column (magnifying glass symbol; not provided in mobile device version) when clicked will zoom in on the map to the selected location (clicking the same symbol on the map will zoom out again)
  • the next column (Remote SLA) names each area – clicking on it highlights the location on the map, shows its relative position on the bar chart and plots a series chart (if applicable)
  • the next column (Mapped Data) provides the actual data for each location relevant to the data set that has been selected – this may be relational data (e.g. %) where this is more meaningful than the raw data
  • the last column (Count) provides the raw data (where applicable – e.g. when Mapped Data is relational)

Only one data column is provided in the mobile devices version and in some themes on the desktop version.

Clicking on the column header of any of the right-hand columns reorders the data in both ascending and descending order (and sorts the other related columns accordingly)

On the far right-hand side of the table is a scroll bar to move up and down through all the data (desktop version only).

Using the pie chart (bottom left)

This shows the relative sizes of each value range. Moving the cursor over each segment reveals the percentage of the total that each range constitutes, and corresponding data in the other windows is highlighted.

Using the bar chart (bottom centre)

This chart displays the data of all SLAs in increasing order, with the associated colour code value range group. Moving the cursor over the bar chart identifies each location on the map, as well as its specific data in the other windows.

Using the series chart (bottom right)

Where applicable, this chart shows the change in a data series or time (from 2001 to 2011) for the data set in question. When you move the cursor over the bar chart, the plot shows the changes for each SLA, and for multiple SLAs if selected.

When you move the cursor over the pie chart segments, the series chart plots the changes for all the locations in the respective value range. This chart also provides more detailed plots of the relationships between the value ranges when used in conjunction with filtering.

Remote Australia

4. Filtering data

Filtering data is useful when you want more detailed analyses of specific groups of data. You can filter data in RAO Atlas by:

  • using the filter button in the upper left corner to filter by state. Remove this filter by selecting within the filter button options, or selecting from the menu by right-clicking anywhere on the screen.
  • the additional filtering options below are available in the desktop version.
  • selecting multiple individual regions on the map by holding the CTRL key while clicking each of the areas that you want to view as a group.
  • selecting multiple regions on the map as one block or blocks. Hold the CTRL key as you position the cursor on the map. Click and hold the left mouse button, then drag the cursor to select the entire region required. Multiple regions can be selected (e.g. SLAs within two or more required states only) by releasing the mouse button while keeping the CTRL key depressed, then moving to another location on the map and repeating the block selection procedure.
  • choosing several value range groups on the data window and these will be reflected in the map, the full data table, and in the graph plots.

5. Exporting data

Exporting is possible in the desktop version.

Obtain images of the home page or of individual enlarged windows by right-clicking and selecting Export then choosing the required options. Images can be exported as JPG and PNG format, but editable data cannot be downloaded.

Similarly, images can be printed, either from the home screen or from an enlarged single window directly by right-clicking and selecting Print Preview and choosing the required options

Advanced features

RAO Atlas also offers a variety of advanced features (some are only available in the desktop version), for example:

  • Detailed background geographical features can be seen in the map by selecting Background Mapping in the data window – this may require adjustment of Transparency to achieve the desired effect.
  • You can make changes to data rendition by clicking the pencil icon in the upper left corner of the data window. Options include altering the colour scheme, changing the transparency for background mapping, modifying the statistical analysis algorithms (refer to Technical Guide for details), adjusting the number of data ranges, etc.
  • Explanations of the technical aspects of the resource can be accessed by clicking the Technical Guide button.