Name: Stephen Boyle

Course: PhD;ECON

Department: Department of Economics

Staff Supervisor: Professor David Throsby

Email Address: sboyle@efs.mq.edu.au

Thesis Title
Ownership, Efficiency and Identity: The Transition of Australia’s Symphony Orchestras from Government Departments to Corporate Entities

Abstract
In 1932 the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) was created by an Act of Federal Parliament, with a charter to provide free-to-air radio broadcasting on a national scale. To provide musical content for their activities the organisation created a number of musical groups, ultimately leading to the creation of a network of six fulltime professional symphony orchestras. Between 1950 and 1996 the orchestras were structured as a government department but between 1997 and 2000 each was corporatised into individual corporate identities.

This study explores the development of the Australian symphony orchestras with particular focus on the changes in organisational structure from the mid 1980s to the present. The fundamental inquiry is to explore how factors such as organisational structure and ownership have impacted on the orchestras’ activities and the professional identity of the musicians, as they have made the transition from a government department to separate corporate entities.