The demise of the corner store

Until very recently the corner store was a ubiquitous presence in Australia's suburbs, particularly in the more established areas. Many of us can remember a time when we used to buy a small bag of mixed lollies from the corner store on the way home from school. Many years ago, most shopping was done locally, often within walking distance of home. Corner stores were scattered across our inner suburbs, meeting the needs of local residents.

But corner stores have largely been relegated to the past. A number of factors have contributed to this, such as the rise of supermarkets and other convenience stores, and more recently, online shopping. This blog looks at the spatial distribution of what I've termed neighbourhood stores in Brunswick over the last 100 years.

Life expectancy in Australia

Australia is in the fortunate position of having one of the highest life expectancies in the world. A child born in 2019 can expect to live to 82.9 years. Life expectancy is a function of many factors including mortality rates and the quality of the health care system. Although most people are familiar with the concept of life expectancy, many are not aware that there are differences across the country. This blog looks at life expectancy trends in Australia from a spatial and temporal perspective.

Where did unemployment increase the most?

One of the most profound impacts of the COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns has been the loss of jobs across the economy. This has manifested itself in higher unemployment numbers and rates. Data released by the ABS through the monthly labour force survey is a leading economic indicator, but it doesn't provide the fine-grained spatial aspects to look at differences across regions. This blog uses JobSeeker and Youth Allowance data from the Department of Social Services (DSS) to look at spatial patterns of unemployment.

Fertility rate continues to fall

Last week the ABS released its annual births data. It confirmed the steady decline in the total fertility rate (TFR) in Australia over the past decade. However at the same time, the number of births remains at historically high levels. This juxtaposition is a great example of why numbers and rates provide greater insights into the drivers of population change and the impact on age cohorts. The annual births data also presents an opportunity to examine trends in smaller geographic regions. Read on to find out more.