Postcodes in Australia
Encyclopedia
Postal code
A postal code is a series of letters and/or digits appended to a postal address for the purpose of sorting mail. Once postal codes were introduced, other applications became possible.In February 2005, 117 of the 190 member countries of the Universal Postal Union had postal code systems...
are used in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to sort and send mail
Mail
Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...
to the correct address. All postcodes in Australia have four numbers and are placed at the end of the address. Australian postcodes are managed by Australia Post
Australia Post
Australia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation .-History:...
.
555
Postcodes are published in booklets available from post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
s or online from the Australia Post website.
Australian envelopes and postcards often have four square boxes printed in orange at the bottom right for the postcode numbers. These are used when addressing mail by hand.
History
Postcodes were started in Australia in 1967 by the Postmaster-General's Department (PMG), now called Australia Post. They replaced earlier postal sorting systems, such as MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
's letter and number codes (e.g., N3, E5) and a similar system once used in rural and regional New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
Format
Australian Postcodes are four digits, and written after the name of the city, suburb, or town, and the state or territory:- Mr John Smith
- 200 Flinders Street
- MELBOURNE VIC 3000
When writing an address by hand, a row of four boxes (pre-printed on the lower right hand corner of many envelopes) is usually used.
Geography
Australian postcodes are sorting information. They are often linked with one area (e.g. 6160 belongs only to Fremantle, Western AustraliaFremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
). But sometimes they can be quite complex, especially in country areas (e.g. 2570 belongs to twenty-two towns and suburbs around Camden, New South Wales
Camden, New South Wales
-Education:Camden is the location of research facilities for the veterinary and agricultural schools of the University of Sydney. The local government area has two public high schools, Camden High School and Elderslie High School, as well as eight Catholic and three Anglican schools.-Culture:The...
). The south-western Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
3221 postcode of the Geelong
Geelong, Victoria
Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...
Mail Centre also includes twenty places around Geelong with very few people. This means that mail for these places is not fully sorted until it gets to Geelong. Some postcodes cover large populations (e.g., postcode 4350 serving some 100,000 people in Toowoomba
Toowoomba, Queensland
Toowoomba is a city in Southern Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Queensland's capital city, Brisbane. With an estimated district population of 128,600, Toowoomba is Australia's second largest inland city and its largest non-capital inland city...
), while other postcodes have much smaller populations, even in urban areas. Australian postcodes range from 0200 (for the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
) to 9944 (Cannonvale, Queensland).
Some towns and suburbs have two postcodes—one for street deliveries and one for post office box
Post Office box
A post-office box or Post Office box is a uniquely addressable lockable box located on the premises of a post office station....
es. For instance, a street address in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
would be written like this:
- Mr John Smith
- 99 George Street
- PARRAMATTA NSW 2150
But mail sent to a PO Box in Parramatta would be addressed:
- Mr John Smith
- PO Box 99
- PARRAMATTA NSW 2124
Many big businesses, government departments and other institutions receive large volumes of mail. They can have their own postcode as a Large Volume Receiver (LVR), e.g. the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital
Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital
The Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital is a hospital located in the suburb of Herston in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.The hospital was formerly known as the Brisbane General Hospital.The hospital currently has a total of 948 beds...
has the postcode 4029. More postcode ranges were made available for LVRs in the 1990s.
Australia States and territories
The first one or two numbers usually show the state or territory that the postcode belongs to| State/Territory | Abbreviation | Postcode range | New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales... | NSW | 1000—1999 (LVRs and PO Boxes only) 2000—2599 2619—2898 2921—2999 | Australian Capital Territory Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory... | ACT | 0200—0299 (LVRs and PO Boxes only) 2600—2618 2900—2920 | Victoria Victoria (Australia) Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively.... | VIC | 3000—3999 8000—8999 (LVRs and PO Boxes only) | Queensland Queensland Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean... | QLD | 4000—4999 9000—9999 (LVRs and PO Boxes only) | South Australia South Australia South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland... | SA | 5000—5799 5800—5999 (LVRs and PO Boxes only) | Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... | WA | 6000—6797 6800—6999 (LVRs and PO Boxes only) | Tasmania Tasmania Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart... | TAS | 7000—7799 7800—7999 (LVRs and PO Boxes only) | Northern Territory Northern Territory The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions... | NT | 0800—0899 0900—0999 (LVRs and PO Boxes only) |
Sometimes near the state and territory borders, Australia Post finds it easier to send mail through a nearby post office that is across the border:
| Postcode | Suburb | State derived from Postcode ranges | Actual State for this Suburb |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0872 | ERNABELLA | NT | SA |
| 0872 | FREGON | NT | SA |
| 0872 | INDULKANA | NT | SA |
| 0872 | MIMILI | NT | SA |
| 0872 | NGAANYATJARRA-GILES | NT | WA |
| 0872 | GIBSON DESERT NORTH | NT | WA |
| 0872 | GIBSON DESERT SOUTH | NT | WA |
| 2540 | HMAS CRESWELL | NSW | Jervis Bay Territory Jervis Bay Territory The Jervis Bay Territory is a territory of the Commonwealth of Australia. It was surrendered by the state of New South Wales to the Commonwealth Government in 1915 so that the Federal capital at Canberra would have "access to the sea".... |
| 2540 | JERVIS BAY | NSW | Jervis Bay Territory Jervis Bay Territory The Jervis Bay Territory is a territory of the Commonwealth of Australia. It was surrendered by the state of New South Wales to the Commonwealth Government in 1915 so that the Federal capital at Canberra would have "access to the sea".... |
| 2611 | BRINDABELLA | ACT | NSW |
| 2611 | URIARRA | ACT | NSW |
| 2620 | HUME | NSW | ACT |
| 2620 | KOWEN FOREST | NSW | ACT |
| 2620 | OAKS ESTATE | NSW | ACT |
| 2620 | THARWA | NSW | ACT |
| 2620 | TOP NAAS | NSW | ACT |
| 3500 | PARINGI | VIC | NSW |
| 3585 | MURRAY DOWNS | VIC | NSW |
| 3586 | MALLAN | VIC | NSW |
| 3644 | BAROOGA | VIC | NSW |
| 3644 | LALALTY | VIC | NSW |
| 3707 | BRINGENBRONG | VIC | NSW |
These postcodes do not follow the above rule:
| 2406: |
|
| 2540: |
|
| 2611: |
|
| 4380: |
|
| 4377: |
|
| 3691: |
|
| 2611: |
|
Some or all of the postcodes above may cover two states. For example postcode 2620 covers both a suburb in NSW (Gundaroo) as well as a suburb in the ACT (Hume) - the postcode is within the ACT range.
Jervis Bay Territory
Jervis Bay Territory
The Jervis Bay Territory is a territory of the Commonwealth of Australia. It was surrendered by the state of New South Wales to the Commonwealth Government in 1915 so that the Federal capital at Canberra would have "access to the sea"....
, once an exclave of the ACT but now a separate territory, is geographically located on the coast of NSW. It is just south of the towns of Vincentia and Huskisson, with which it shares a postcode. Mail to the Jervis Bay Territory is still addressed to the ACT.
The numbers used to show the state on each radio callsign in Australia is the same number as the first number for postcodes in that state, e.g. 2xx in New South Wales, 3xx in Victoria, etc. Radio callsigns pre-date postcodes in Australia by more than forty years.
External territories
Australia's external territories are also included in Australia Post's postcode system. While these territories do not belong to any state, they are addressed as such for mail sorting:| External territory | Postal state | Postcode | Norfolk Island Norfolk Island Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance... | NSW | 2899 | Christmas Island Christmas Island The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands.... | WA | 6798 | Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cocos (Keeling) Islands The Territory of the Cocos Islands, also called Cocos Islands and Keeling Islands, is a territory of Australia, located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Christmas Island and approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka.... | WA | 6799 |
Three scientific bases in Antarctica operated by the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
The Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions is the historical name for the Australian Antarctic Program administered for Australia by the Australian Antarctic Division .-The ANARE Name:...
share a postcode with the isolated sub-Antarctic island of Macquarie Island
Macquarie Island
Macquarie Island lies in the southwest corner of the Pacific Ocean, about half-way between New Zealand and Antarctica, at 54°30S, 158°57E. Politically, it has formed part of the Australian state of Tasmania since 1900 and became a Tasmanian State Reserve in 1978. In 1997 it became a world heritage...
(part of Tasmania):
| Antarctic base | Postal state | Postcode | Casey Station Casey Station Casey Station is a permanent base in Antarctica managed by the Australian Antarctic Division located on Vincennes Bay in the Australian Antarctic Territory.- History :... | TAS | 7151 | Davis Station Davis Station Davis Station is a permanent base in Antarctica managed by the Australian Antarctic Division . It is the busiest Australian scientific research station... | TAS | 7151 | Mawson Station Mawson Station Mawson Station is one of three permanent Australian bases in the Australian Antarctic Territory of East Antarctica. Named after Antarctic explorer Sir Douglas Mawson, the base is managed by the Australian Antarctic Division... | TAS | 7151 |
State and territory capital cities
Each state's capital city ends with three zeroes, while territorial capital cities end with two zeroes. Capital city postcodes were the lowest postcodes in their state or territory range, before new ranges for LVRs and PO Boxes were made available. The last number can usually be changed from "0" to "1" to get the postcode for General Post OfficeGeneral Post Office
General Post Office is the name of the British postal system from 1660 until 1969.General Post Office may also refer to:* General Post Office, Perth* General Post Office, Sydney* General Post Office, Melbourne* General Post Office, Brisbane...
boxes in any capital city (though Perth now uses a different range of postcodes for its GPO Boxes):
| City | State/Territory | Street Address | GPO Box Address | |
| Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... | NSW | 2000 | 2001 | |
| Canberra Canberra Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne... | ACT | 2600 | 2601 | |
| Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... | VIC | 3000 | 3001 | |
| Brisbane Brisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of... | QLD | 4000 | 4001 | |
| Adelaide Adelaide Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million... | SA | 5000 | 5001 | |
| Perth Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000.... | WA | 6000 | 6837—6848 | |
| Hobart Hobart Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as... | TAS | 7000 | 7001 | |
| Darwin Darwin, Northern Territory Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities... | NT | 0800 | 0801 |
Allocation within states
While the first number of a postcode usually shows the state or territory, the second number usually shows a region within the state. However, postcodes with the same second number are not always next to each other. As an example, postcodes in the range 2200—0001 are split between the southern suburbs of Sydney and the Central Coast of New South Wales.Postcodes with a second number of "0" or "1" are almost always located within the metropolitan area of the state's capital city. Postcodes with higher second numbers are usually located in rural and regional areas. Common exceptions are where towns were rural when postcodes were first introduced in 1967, but have since been suburbanised and incorporated into metropolitan areas, e.g. Penrith, New South Wales
Penrith, New South Wales
Penrith is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Penrith is located west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Penrith...
has the postcode 2750 and Petrie, Queensland
Petrie, Queensland
Petrie is a suburb north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Moreton Bay Region. It is located in the North Pine River section of its local council 24 kilometres north of Brisbane City....
has the postcode 4502.
Within each region with the same second number, postcodes usually get bigger the further one travels from the state's capital city along major highways and railways. For instance, heading north on the North Coast railway
North Coast railway line, New South Wales
The North Coast Line is the primary rail route in the Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers regions of New South Wales, and forms a major part of the Sydney-Brisbane rail corridor....
in New South Wales away from Sydney:
| Town | Postcode | Distance from Central Station Central railway station, Sydney Central Railway Station, the largest railway station in Australia, is at the southern end of the Sydney CBD. It services almost all the lines on the CityRail network, and is the major terminus for interurban and interstate rail services... |
| Dungog Dungog, New South Wales Dungog is a country town on the Williams River in the upper Hunter Valley in New South Wales, Australia. Located in the middle of dairy and timber country, it is the centre of the Dungog Shire Local Government Area and at the 2006 census it had a population of 2,102 people. The area includes the... | 2420 | 245 km |
| Taree Taree, New South Wales Taree is a city on the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia. Taree and nearby Cundletown were settled in 1831 by William Wynter. Since then Taree has grown to a population of around 20,000 people and is the centre of a significant agricultural district. It is 16 km from the sea coast,... | 2430 | 378 km |
| Kempsey Kempsey, New South Wales Kempsey is a town in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia and is the council seat for Kempsey Shire. It is located 15 kilometres inland from the coast of the Pacific Ocean where the Pacific Highway and the North Coast railway line cross the Macleay River... | 2440 | 503 km |
| Coffs Harbour Coffs Harbour, New South Wales -History:By the early 1900s, the Coffs Harbour area had become an important timber production centre. Before the opening of the North Coast Railway Line, the only way to transport large items of heavy but low value, such as timber, was by coastal shipping. This meant sawmillers on the North Coast... | 2450 | 607 km |
| Grafton Grafton, New South Wales The city of Grafton is the commercial hub of the Clarence River Valley. Established in 1851, Grafton features many historic buildings and tree-lined streets. Located approximately 630 kilometres north of Sydney and 340 km south of Brisbane, Grafton and the Clarence Valley can be reached... | 2460 | 695 km |
| Casino Casino, New South Wales Casino is a town in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales, Australia, with a population of 9,400 people . It lies on the banks of the Richmond River and is situated at the junction of the Bruxner Highway and the Summerland Way.... | 2470 | 805 km |
Major towns and cities
Major towns and cities tend to have "0" as the last number or last two numbers, e.g. Rockhampton, QueenslandRockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
has the postcode 4700 and Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
has the postcode 3350. There are exceptions; the major town of Ipswich, Queensland
Ipswich, Queensland
Ipswich is a city in South-East Queensland, Australia. Situated along the Bremer River Valley approximately 40 kilometres away from the state's capital Brisbane. The suburb by the same name forms the city's Central Business District and administrative centre...
has the postcode 4305, while Goodna
Goodna, Queensland
Goodna is a suburb on the eastern edge of the City of Ipswich in Queensland, Australia.It is bounded to the north by the Brisbane River. Founded in 1856 when the area was still part of New South Wales, it celebrated its 150 year anniversary in 2006. Its beginnings can be traced back further to...
, a relatively unimportant suburb of Ipswich, is allocated 4300.
Postcode squares
Post Office Preferred envelopes sold in Australia have four boxes in the bottom right corner of the front of the envelope. These boxes or squares, which by Australia Post calls postcode squares, have the postcode for hand-addressed mail. This is for the purpose of Australia Post's automated mail-sorting equipment, which uses optical character recognitionOptical character recognition
Optical character recognition, usually abbreviated to OCR, is the mechanical or electronic translation of scanned images of handwritten, typewritten or printed text into machine-encoded text. It is widely used to convert books and documents into electronic files, to computerize a record-keeping...
software. Postcode squares were introduced in 1990.
Australia Post says that postcode squares should not be used for machine-addressed mail, or mail going overseas.
Other uses
Many other organisations now use postcodes. InsuranceInsurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
companies often use postcodes when working out the cost of car and house insurance. The NSW Ministry of Transport uses postcodes to give specific numbers for each bus stop in Greater Sydney. The stop number is five to seven numbers: the first four are the postcode, and the others show the bus stop (sometimes written with a space in between, e.g. "2000 108"). Many companies that produce metropolitan street maps also list the postcodes for each suburb, both in indexes on the maps themselves.
Mechanised sorting
To improve mechanised sorting, each address now has a sorting number which is printed on the letter as an orange coloured barcodeBarcode
A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data, which shows data about the object to which it attaches. Originally barcodes represented data by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines, and may be referred to as linear or 1 dimensional . Later they evolved into rectangles,...
. This number might be 12 numbers long. This system enables the post office to place items in delivery order.
Companies can also use Rapid Addressing Tool(RATS) to print what is call Customer Addressed Barcodes that are printed above the address.
Every Delivery Point in Australia (DPID) has its own number.
The machines that sort mail are Barcode Sorter(BCS)sorts and sequences letters up to C5 size. MARS sequences letters up to C5 articles. Flat multi level ocr (FMOCR) Reads inprints and sorts C5 to A3 size articles.