More people have flocked to Maitland’s landmark community facilities this year than last year.
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Visitor numbers at Maitland Regional Art Gallery, Maitland Gaol and Maitland Library were up between April and September, compared with the same period in 2014, according to new data.
About 145,000 people visited the library during the six-month period, up by almost 3000 from the previous year.
There were 32,774 visitors to MRAG, an increase of about 1400, and 13,971 to the gaol, which was a rise of about 1500.
But the news wasn’t so good for the Visitor Information Centre, which recorded a drop of about 1200 people who visited the facility – down from almost 14,000 between April and September, 2014.
The revelations about the Maitland City Council-owned facilities came as part of the On The Move report.
The report is a half yearly review of council’s performance in relation to its four-year delivery program.
A Maitland City spokesperson told the Mercury that council was very happy with the results.
“Between April to September 2015 Maitland Regional Art Gallery created more opportunities for people to visit the gallery through increased events and establishing stronger community partnerships across business, health and education sectors,” the spokesperson said.
“These partnerships have led to a greater engagement with a range of groups within the community and the region.
“Maitland’s library branches had a very popular range of school holiday programs in September. These programs saw a significant increase in visitor numbers and some great feedback.
“Additionally, the libraries have seen an increase in the numbers of people using these spaces for meetings, study, and accessing Wi-Fi, as well as using library collections.”
Maitland Gaol’s open day in May, which attracted more than 4000 people, was credited with the increased patronage at the old lock-up, according to council.
The spokesperson said that visitor numbers at the Visitor Information Centre had declined in recent years as people increasingly used the internet to find out about the city.
“This is a trend that is being experienced both in Australia and globally.
“A review of visitor information services is currently being undertaken.”