Carlene Tolley and Gail Conman with their children Charlotte and
Alexander.  Carlene Tolley and Gail Conman with their children
Charlotte and Alexander. Photo: Angela Wylie  SAME-SEX couples
were able to indicate a marriage for the first time in the 2011
census.  Across Australia, 1338 of 33,714 same-sex couples
reported their relationship as being of husband or wife. In
Victoria, there were 403 married same-sex couples and 8319
couples who reported their relationship as de facto.  Australia
at a glance  Check our in-depth and interactive census data
graphics here  The Australian Bureau of Statistics says the
reason some couples report being married ''cannot be known from
census data'', but may include being married overseas,
registering their relationship under state law or feeling as
though husband or wife best described their relationship.
Nunawading couple Gail Conman and Carlene Tolley recorded their
relationship as de facto. ''I wouldn't identify as a wife or
spouse unless I was legally able to be,'' M