50 years of postcodes in Australia

Australia celebrates 50 years of postcodes in 2017. On 1 July 1967 postcodes – or zip codes – were introduced to more efficiently sort mail and distinguish areas within cities.

All postcodes in Australia have four digits and are placed at the end of the Australian address. Australian Post, the postal service, manages and issues postcodes across Australia.

Australian envelopes and postcards often have four square boxes printed in orange at the bottom right hand side to insert the postcode. These are used when addressing mail by hand.

Mr John Smith

100 Flushcombe Road

BLACKTOWN NSW 2148

Use of the Australian postcode system commenced in 1967, implemented by the Postmaster-General's Department (PMG), now called Australia Post.

Some towns and suburbs have two postcodes — one for street deliveries and another for post office (PO) boxes. For example, a street address in the Sydney suburb Parramatta has the postcode 2150, but mail sent to a PO Box in Parramatta has the postcode 2124.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).