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User:JustinePorto/Public toilets in Australia

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Public toilets in Australia
Row of urinals
Male toilets at Brisbane City Hall, Queensland
Language of toilets
Local wordsdunny
bogger
brasco
WC
Men's toiletsMen
Women's toiletsWomen
Public toilet statistics
Toilets per 100,000 people37 (2021)
Total toilets19,000+ (2018)
Public toilet use
TypeWestern style sit toilet
Locationsrestaurants
bars
beaches
national parks
campsites
Average cost???
Often equipped withDiaper changing facilities
Percent accessible???
Date first modern public toilets???
.

Public toilets in Australia are reasonably plentiful, with 37 public toilets per 100,000 people and over 19,000 total. Many are equipped with diaper changing stations, and are located at bars, restaurants, public beaches, national parks, bus stations, airports and campsites.

Public toilets[edit]

Toilets are colloquially referred to as dunny, bogger and brasco.[1][2] A 2021 study found there was 37 public toilets per 100,000 people.[3] The National Public Toilet Map showed there were over 19,000 public toilets in 2021.[4] There were over 19,000 public toilets in 2018.  The National Public Toilet Map was created by the Australian Health Department to allow members of the public to locate these toilets.  The map was managed by the National Continence Program.[5]

Many public toilets and toilets in restaurants have diaper changing facilities.[6] Public toilets are found on beaches, in national parks and close to campgrounds.  Public toilets at these locations are normally very clean, and users tend to be respectful in maintaining that cleanliness.[7] Some public bathrooms in Australia drain into the ocean.[8] 12% of hotel water usage in Australia in 2009 went towards their public toilets while another 42% went to guest rooms.[9]

The National Construction Code dictates toilet design and layout in Australia.  This guidance includes things like the number of toilets, which is based on the size and purpose of the building.  The code has limits though as it has limited application and does not dictate toilet distribution in public spaces across the country.[5]

Around 25% of Australians are incontinent, which means they need access to public toilets if they are going to participate in Australian society.[5] Many of Australia's public toilets are not designed for people with disabilities or conditions like dementia.[10] Older adults in Australia sometimes avoid travelling because of the lack of public toilet facilities.[10] Likely loos: A guide to accessible public toilets in Victoria was published by the Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Association of Victoria in 1987.[11]

Parents became reluctant to let their children use public toilets without being accompanied after a series of high profile attacks against children in public toilets.[8]

Sex-segregated toilets[edit]

In quasi public spaces in the Western world with toilet facilities, there is rarely rigid sex separation.  This includes in large, private homes where lots of entertaining is done.[8]

Men's toilets[edit]

The toilet configuration in men's public toilets includes open urinals and closed stalls with toilet seats.  This taught males that urinating is a public act while pooping is a private act.[8]

Women's toilets[edit]

Women's toilets often require special sex-specific features.  This includes places to dispose of tampons and sanitary napkins.  The disposal container is often a large plastic bin.  In smaller toilet stalls, this can make it difficult for women to sit because of these disposal bins may touch the seat or a woman may come into contact with them when she sits on the toilet seat.[8]

Australian Infrastructure Audit 2019: An Assessment of Australia's Future Infrastructure Needs called for a greater number of female public toilets and changing rooms in Australia.[5]

Bathroom and toilet culture[edit]

Islamic teachings suggest using water for cleaning after using the toilet.[12] Muslim Australians use both toilet paper and hand held bidets depending on their preferences and acceptance of Western cultural practices.  Some Muslim Australians also shower after defecating.[12]

Many people in the country bathe or shower multiple times a day.[12]

By state[edit]

New South Wales[edit]

Sydney had 54.77 public toilets in open space per 100,000 residents in 2018.[13]

The Jennings & Company had installed their flush toilets in public toilets in Paris, Florence, Madrid, Berlin, Sydney and South America by 1895.[14]

In 1972 in Tarcutta, a truck filled with toilet paper had an accident that resulted in the destruction of a public toilet block.  There were no injuries as the block was empty at the time.[15]

The 2019 International Toilet Tourism Awards gave Trangie Caravan Park in New South Wales the award for highly commended.[16]

Queensland[edit]

In 2015, most public toilets in Brisbane were closed from 8pm to 6am.  This included in areas with large amounts of nighttime foot traffic, including places with a large number of bars and clubs.[17] The 2019 International Toilet Tourism Awards gave  Brisbane Airport the award for best accessible toilet.[16]

A returned POW and another 20 year old man were caught having sex at the urinals at the Wintergarden Theater in Townsville during World War II.[6] A pair US service men in 1943 were charged with indecent exposure in places like the Brisbane Botanic Garden public toilets after being discovered engaging in sex during World War II.[18] United States homosexual service members sometimes met at the public toilets at the Cremorne Theater in Brisbane during World War II.[18]

South Australia[edit]

There are a number of public toilets in Adelaide, many of which are disability accessible.[19] The 2019 International Toilet Tourism Awards gave  The Cummins Mosaic Loo, Cummins in South Australia the award for best economic contributor.[16]

Tasmania[edit]

Bus stations in Tasmania often have free public toilets.[20]

Victoria[edit]

One of the first men's underground toilets in Melbourne was built at the corner of Collins and Queen Street in 1905.  It closed in 2013.  The government had started closing this type of public toilet in 1994, following the closure of the Russel Street underground public urinal.[21]

References[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to JustinePorto/Public toilets in Australia.
  1. ^ Collins English Thesaurus. "Toilet Synonyms". Collins English Thesaurus. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  2. ^ Christine, Theresa. "Here's what bathrooms look like all around the world". Insider. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  3. ^ QS Supplies (11 October 2021). "Which Cities Have The Most and Fewest Public Toilets?". QS Supplies. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  4. ^ Marshall, Candice (1 April 2021). "PSA: Australia has a public toilet map so you'll never be stranded again". Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d Webber, Katherine (2018). "We Need to Talk About Public Toilets". stories.uq.edu.au. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  6. ^ a b Guides, Rough (2017-05-01). Tasmania (Rough Guides Snapshot Australia). Rough Guides UK. ISBN 978-0-241-31327-5.
  7. ^ "Les toilettes en voyage". Ouvrir le Monde (in French). 2020-03-26. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
  8. ^ a b c d e Molotch, Harvey; Noren, Laura (2010-11-17). Toilet: Public Restrooms and the Politics of Sharing. NYU Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-9589-7.
  9. ^ Gössling, Stefan; Peeters, Paul; Hall, C. Michael; Ceron, Jean-Paul; Dubois, Ghislain; Lehmann, La Vergne; Scott, Daniel (February 2012). "Tourism and water use: Supply, demand, and security. An international review". Tourism Management. 33 (1): 1–15. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2011.03.015.
  10. ^ a b Tales, Andrea; Burholt, Vanessa; Nash, Paul; Bichard, Jo-Anne; Clayton-Turner, Angela (2017-08-05). "Dementia-friendly public toilets". The Lancet. 390 (10094): 552–553. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31813-5. ISSN 0140-6736. PMID 28792390.
  11. ^ Australian National Bibliography. National Library Australia. 1978.
  12. ^ a b c Ro, Christine (7 October 2019). "The peculiar bathroom habits of Westerners". BBC. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  13. ^ Park, Young Shin; Bliss, Donna Z. (2018). "Availability of Public Toilets in Major International Cities Using Geographic Information Systems". Neurourology and Urodynamics.
  14. ^ Mokdad, Allaa (2018). Public Toilets, The Implications In/For Architecture (PDF). Southfield, Michigan: The Lawrence Technological University.
  15. ^ Company, Johnson Publishing (1972-04-20). Jet. Johnson Publishing Company.
  16. ^ a b c Continence Foundation of Australia (13 June 2019). "In search of world's best toilets". Continence Foundation of Australia. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2022. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 15 March 2021 suggested (help)
  17. ^ Sri, Jonathan (2015-11-02). "Locked public toilets keep Brisbane from being true world city". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  18. ^ a b Smaal, Yorick (2015-08-04). Sex, Soldiers and the South Pacific, 1939-45: Queer Identities in Australia in the Second World War. Springer. ISBN 978-1-137-36514-9.
  19. ^ "Lessons from a most liveable city – The National". www.thenational.com.pg. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
  20. ^ Stewart, James; Daly, Margo (2008). The Rough Guide to Tasmania. Rough Guides. ISBN 978-1-85828-559-7.
  21. ^ "VILLE - La fin des toilettes souterraines". lepetitjournal.com (in French). Retrieved 2022-10-20.
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