 | |
| Company type | Government business enterprise |
|---|---|
| Industry | Postal service |
| Predecessor |
|
| Founded | 1 July 1975; 50 years ago (1975-07-01) inSydney, Australia |
| Headquarters | |
Number of locations |  4,189 outlets (FY24)[1] |
Area served | Australia |
Key people |
|
| Products |
|
| Revenue |  A$9.13B (FY24)[1] |
| -A$68.1M (FY24)[1] | |
| Owner | Australian Government |
Number of employees | c. 64,000 (FY24)[1] |
| Subsidiaries | POLi Payments SecurePay Decipha |
| Website | auspost |
Australia Post, formally theAustralian Postal Corporation and also known asAusPost, is anAustralian Government-owned corporation that providespostal services throughout Australia. Australia Post's head office is located on Swan Street inRichmond, Victoria.
Australia Post is the successor of thePostmaster-General's Department, which was established atfederation in 1901 to formalise colonial postal services. In 1975, the department was abolished and its postal functions were taken over by the Australian Postal Commission.[2] The organisation's current name and structure were adopted in 1989 when it wasmade into a government-owned corporation.
Before colonial control of mail started in 1809, mail was usually passed on by ad hoc arrangements made between transporters, storekeepers and settlers. These arrangements were flexible, and inherently unstable. It was common for early settlers to ride many miles out of their way to deliver neighbours' mail that had been collected from informal distribution points.[3]
The first organisation of a postal service in Australia commenced in 1809 with the appointment inSydney of the firstpostmaster. An English ex-convict,Isaac Nichols, took the post operating from his home inGeorge Street, Sydney. His main job was to take charge of letters and parcels arriving by ship, to avoid the chaos of people rushing aboard ships as soon as they arrived at Sydney's wharves. Nichols would pick up the mail and post a list of recipients outside his house.[4] He would advertise in theSydney Gazette the names of all those who received mail. Recipients paid a fixed price of oneshilling, equivalent toA$5.38 in 2022, per letter to collect mail from Nichols' home, with parcels costing more depending on how heavy they were. VIP addressees were afforded personal delivery by Nichols.[5]
Between 1812 and 1842, postmasters were also appointed inTasmania (1812),Western Australia (1829),Victoria (1836),South Australia(1837) andQueensland (1842). Settlements outside of the postmasters' domain were serviced by contractors on horsebacks or in coaches.[6]
In 1825, theNew South Wales Legislative Council passed thePostal Act which transferred responsibility from Nichols, acting as a private company, to thegovernor. The governor would then set the wage of the postmaster and the cost of collecting mail.
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Followingfederation in 1901, the colonial mail systems were merged into thePostmaster-General's Department (PMG). This body was responsible fortelegraph and domestic telephone operations as well as postal mail. An airmail service was introduced in 1914.[5] In 1967, 4-digitpostcodes in Australia were introduced, in addition to the world's first mechanical processing centre, which garnered international attention.[7]
On 1 July 1975, separate government commissions were created to undertake the operational responsibilities of the PMG. One of these was the Australian Postal Commission. It later became the Australian Postal Corporation on 1 January 1989 when it was corporatised into what is now known as theAustralian Postal Corporation, orAustralia Post.
In December 1987, 21-year-old Melbourne University student Frank Vitkovic, while experiencing amental health crisis, entered the Australian Post building located at 191 Queen Street in Melbourne and spoke animatedly with an unidentified friend who worked in the building, then perpetrated what came to be known as theQueen Street massacre.[8] Themass shooting left eight Australia Post and other company employees dead.[9] The perpetrator fell to his death from the building while struggling with a security guard. The incident resulted in calls to strengthengun control laws in Australia.[8]
Under amendments to the Australian Postal Corporation Act which came into effect in March 2008, quarantine inspection officers of a state or territory are authorised to request Australia Post to open packets and parcels sent from interstate for inspection when inspectors believe they may contain quarantine material. The legislation also authorises Australia Post to remove any mail articles that are suspected of beingscam mail.[10]
In February 2010,Ahmed Fahour was appointedMD (CEO) of Australia Post.[11] In May 2010, he announced a new strategy dubbed "Future Ready" designed to reinvigorate Australia Post. This included a new organisation structure as well as a renewed foray into digital businesses under astrategic business unit calledeServices.[12]
However, in 2013, the corporation acknowledged that, though the strategy was successful in improving Australia Post's profitability and structure, it was insufficient in its contributions to their development as a financially self-sustaining business.[13]
In September 2015, the corporation announced its first loss in 30 years. TheA$222 million loss, equivalent toA$262.462 million in 2022, was down from aA$116 million profit the previous year. Large decreases in addressed and stamped mail led to aA$381 million loss in the mail delivery side of the business. Parcel delivery then accounted for over half of total revenue. Overall revenue was stable atA$6.37 billion,[14] equivalent toA$7.53 billion in 2022.
In August the following year, Australia Post returned to profit with strong parcel and courier performance, and organisation re-structuring. However, mail performance reached an all-time low.
In February 2017, Australian Prime MinisterMalcolm Turnbull criticised CEO Ahmed Fahour'sA$5.6 million, equivalent toA$6.4 million in 2022, annual salary, saying "As the Prime Minister and a taxpayer, I've spoken to the chairman today. I think that salary, that remuneration, is too high."[15] On 23 February 2017, Fahour announced his resignation, effective July 2017, telling media that the decision was not related to discussion of his salary.[16]
In October 2019, Australia Post completed a major rebranding project with Melbourne-based brand strategy firm Maud. This project saw the development of a new brand identity, website and self-service platform, parcel and letter packaging, street posting boxes, staff uniforms, and a fleet of custom-designed electric vehicles, amongst others.[17]
In 2019, with parcels deliveries increasing while letter deliveries falling, the Post Office transferred several thousand workers from letters to parcels. Letter deliveries were reduced from five days per week to two days per week.
In 2021, Australia Post began using its first electric trucks; threeFuso Ecanters in Melbourne.[18]
In 2025, Australia Post indefinitely suspended most deliveries to the United States andPuerto Rico, citingtariffs imposed by theTrump administration.[19]
Responding to competitive pressures, Australia Post continued to broaden its product and service range in 2019, having invested in extensive technology-based infrastructure programmes.[20] It operates in three core areas: letters and associated services; retailmerchandise and agency services; and parcels and logistics. It has a number of subsidiaries and joint ventures, including Sai Cheng Logistics International – a joint-venture logistics company[21] established withChina Post in 2005.
Australia Post operates regular mail delivery as well as an express and courier service through Messenger Post (now trading asStartrack Courier).[22]
Australia Post is self-funding and uses its assets and resources to generate profits, which can be reinvested in the business or returned as dividends to its sole shareholder, theAustralian Government. Under its community service obligations, Australia Post is committed to providing an accessible, affordable and reliable letter service for all Australians wherever they reside. The corporation reaches more than 10 million Australian addresses; operates 4,330 postal outlets;[23] and serves more than a million customers in postal outlets every business day. When the basic domestic letter rate was increased toA$1.00 on 4 January 2016,[24] there were no changes to prices of concession stamps or seasonal greeting stamps, which remained atA$0.60 andA$0.65 respectively. At the same time, a category of priority mail was introduced (as distinct from regular mail), under which delivery standards were varied and aA$0.50priority label was required as additional payment for the better standard.[25]
Under the Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989, letters up to 250 grams (8.8 oz) are reserved to Australia Post – other people and businesses can only carry them if they charge four times the basic postage rate. All of the other goods and services provided by Australia Post are sold in fully competitive markets and, in 2005–06, nearly 90 per cent of the corporation's profit (from ordinary activities before net interest and tax) came from selling products and services in competitive markets.
Empty cells have no data available for that year. All results as at 30 June of the year indicated.
| Year | Full-time staff | Part-time staff | Other staff | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 31934 | 3999 | [27] | |
| 1994 | 31130 | 4204 | 5626 | [28] |
| 1995 | 31621 | 4501 | 5253 | [28] |
| 1996 | 32040 | 5689 | 7849 | [28] |
| 1997 | 31111 | 6185 | 8466 | [28] |
| 1998 | 29564 | 6961 | 9151 | [29] |
| 1999 | 28205 | 6756 | 9776 | [30] |
| 2000 | 26915 | 8482 | 9455 | [31] |
| 2001 | 27079 | 8458 | 9660 | [32] |
| 2002 | 26950 | 8812 | 9703 | [33] |
| 2003 | 26394 | 9033 | 9557 | [34] |
| 2004 | 26019 | 9030 | 9559 | [35] |
| 2005 | 25851 | 8953 | 9570 | [36] |
| 2006 | 25387 | 9196 | 6415 | [37] |
| 2007 | 25026 | 9498 | 6247 | [38] |
| 2008 | 25093 | 9936 | [39] | |
| 2009 | 25149 | 10360 | 8106 | [40] |
| 2010 | 24205 | 10252 | [41] | |
| 2011 | 23369 | 10103 | [42] | |
| 2012 | 23221 | 9810 | [43] | |
| 2013 | 23526 | 8938 | [44] | |
| 2014 | 27315 | 8613 | [45] | |
| 2015 | 27098 | 8195 | [46] | |
| 2019 | 27785 | 7316 | [47] |
In June 2015, Australia Post announced that in view of mounting losses, and especially the accelerating decline in its letter delivery service, it would reduce its workforce by 1,900 over three years throughvoluntary redundancies. At the time, mail delivery losses were approachingA$500 million for the 2014–15 financial year.[48] As of 2019 however, Australia Post's workforce was broadly similar in numbers compared to 2015.[46][47]
Nationwide there are 7,950 postal routes serviced by 10,000postal delivery workers, colloquially calledposties. Motorcycles (including theHonda CT110) are used for delivery on about 6,600 routes, bicycles on 350 routes and walking for 1,000 routes. Electric-assisted bicycles were introduced inVictoria in 2011.[49] Cars, trucks and vans are used on only the longest routes. Until the 1960s, the longest overland mail route in the world wasMeekatharra toMarble Bar, Western Australia. As there were few roads, a return journey took seven days. The current longest overland route isNorseman, Western Australia toBorder Village,South Australia, a distance of 1,460 km (910 mi). The longest air service delivers to remote communities in the outback covering 1,790 km (1,110 mi) over two days.[citation needed] The last remaining mailboat service still operates on theHawkesbury River to the north of Sydney, out of Brooklyn, and is calledRiverboat Postman.
_SWB_van%2c_Australia_Post_(2018-11-22).jpg)
The most isolated Post Office is located 217 km (135 mi) fromOnslow, Western Australia, 32 km (20 mi) from the nearest customer. The highest Post Office is located inPerisher Ski Resort at 1,720 metres (5,640 ft) above sea level.[citation needed]
According to the 2019 annual report, Australia Post:
and had:
Undelivered items go to the mail redistribution centres, which attempt to return the items to their senders.
In February 2015, Australia Post reported a 56% fall in its half-year profit from 2014, a loss ofA$151 million. The first full-year loss in over 30 years was forecast. Managing director,Ahmed Fahour noted this tied in with a worldwide decline of letter volumes over the past seven years.[50]
In February 2017, it was reported Fahour's reforms reduced potential 2015-16 losses, toA$138 million.[51]
Australia Post operates in three core markets: letters and associated services; agency services and retail merchandise; and parcels and logistics that span both domestic and international markets.
Australia Post collects, processes and distributes letters for the entire Australian community and between Australia and other countries overseas. It also offers bulk mail delivery services for businesses and community organisations and provides research, advice, consumer list rental, and profiling and segmentation services to help businesses target their objectives and customers, along with other associated services.
While postal services of letters and parcels are one of the original areas of Australia Post, it has also diversified its operations into the provision of other services including agency services, business-to-business integration and logistics and supply chain management (see below).
The basic postage rate for a small letter has increased over the years due toinflation but influenced in recent years by a complex interplay between Australia Post's monopoly over small items, and need to provide service to all Australian addresses at the mandated basic rate. For version of this table showing inflation, seeList of postage rates in Australia.
In July 2009, Australia Post requested theAustralian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) to approve a stamp price rise in 2010 toA$0.60 but the ACCC declined the approval of the price rise. However in April 2010, Australia Post resubmitted the proposed postal stamp rise. The ACCC approved this request on 28 May 2010 and it was published in the Government Gazette on 9 June 2010.[52][53][54]
On 26 December 2013, due to the heavy decline in mail usage due to competition (such as email), Australia Post requested an increase in the base rate toA$0.70.[55]
On 4 January 2016, due to continuing heavy decline in mail usage, Australia Post requested an increase in the base rate toA$1.00.
As of 1 February 2020[update], the base rate for domestic letters wasA$1.10.[56]
Since about 2005, larger letters have been charged a round multiple of the base postage rate, which is helpful to customers if they do not have stocks of the more expensive stamps.
A large letter, including packaging, cannot be more than 20 mm (0.79 in) thick or larger than 260 mm × 360 mm (10 in × 14 in), otherwise it will be considered a parcel, which as of July 2023[update] costs a minimum ofA$10.60 for up to 500 g (18 oz).[63]
Agency services: Australia Post provides third-party agency services that connect consumers, businesses and government bodies such as bill payment services, banking services and identity services. Australia Post also offers personal finance products, such as car and travel insurance[64] and currency conversion.
Retail Merchandise: A variety of complementary products, packaging products, collectibles andpost office boxes and locked bags are offered across the network of Australia Post outlets in Australia.[citation needed]
Australia Post is one of organisations of issuing agency ofAustralian Passport along withAustralian Passport Office ofAustralian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Australia Post collects, processes and delivers single parcels or multi-parcel consignments all across Australia and internationally. It also provides complete end-to-end supply chain capabilities, from manufacturer (domestic or international) to consumer with integrated logistics services and a broad range of distribution options to track and trace deliveries.[citation needed]
Australia Post offers a number of digital services outside of their main mail/parcel/logistics area. These include employment screening,[65]online payment services[66] and a digital identity platform.[67]
Australia Post started offering parcel lockers in 2012,[68] which has now expanded to over 700 locations near post offices, supermarkets and railway stations. These lockers are free to use for Australia Post deliveries and can be picked up at anytime during day or night. Once delivered, the package must be picked up within 48 hours.[69]
Parcel lockers are also available to use for sending prepaid parcels under 16 kilograms (35 lb), with tracking details updated as soon as you have dropped your parcel off.[70]
Australia Post provides[when?]24/7 vending machines which sells postal items such as satchels, stamps, and envelopes.[71][72]
_LWB_van%2c_Australia_Post_StarTrack_Courier_(2018-11-27).jpg)
On 23 December 2003, Australia Post andQantas went into a joint venture to acquire StarTrack from the company's founder, Greg Poche.
On 18 May 2011, it was announced the merger of the retail division ofAustralian airExpress (AaE) with StarTrack. StarTrack will be a solely retail-focused business and AaE will focus solely on domestic air linehaul and cargo terminal operations. The changes follow a review of the businesses guided by AUX Investments, a company established in 2010, to guide the review and provide streamlined governance across the businesses.[73]
In November 2012, Australia Post bought the 50% of the company owned by Qantas. As part of the deal, Australia Post divested itself of its 50% interest inAustralian airExpress to Qantas.[74][75]
On 7 May 2014, StarTrack was rebranded to include Australia PostPost horn in the StarTrack blue colours. StarTrack also took responsibility of Australia Post's "Messenger Post couriers" under the StarTrack brand as "StarTrack Courier".[76]
Letter boxes for houses andunits are mostly standard items bought from hardware stores.
Letterboxes for farms and sparsely located rural houses are often made from 200-litre (53 US gal) or smaller barrels. Such boxes were formerly numbered using theRural Mail Box system, but they are now numbered according to distance travelled on a main road. For example, if your property's letter box is located 10.52 kilometres (6.54 mi) from the start of the main road, your letter box number is1052. Rural letter boxes are located on the road and not the farm.[77]
Australia Post has had a long and difficult relationship with theCommunication Workers Union. In 2012, the union claimed that delivery contractors provided a poor parcel delivery service, especially during the peak Christmas period. Alleged shortcomings included a propensity to insert "delivery failure" cards into mailboxes rather than attempting delivery of packages, thus requiring the customer to travel to a post office to collect items personally.[78]
Complaints by individuals and the LPO Group[79] about Australia Post's business practices in relation to its franchised retail outlets – Licensed Post Offices (LPOs) and Community Postal Agencies – resulted in theAustralian Senate conducting an inquiry in 2014. The inquiry's unanimous report included recommendations for increased payments and the establishment of an independently chaired stakeholder forum.[80][81][82]
In May 2015, Australia Post had a legal battle withSendle, a transnational courier using the sloganpost without the office. Australia Post claimed that the term was deceptively similar to their trademark and what they stand for. Sendle argued that there was no similarity and that in fact, they were differentiating from Australia Post. Two years were spent in the trademark dispute, which resulted in Sendle winning the case.[83]
On 2 November 2020, the CEOChristine Holgate announced resignation, due to increasing pressure from the Prime MinisterScott Morrison and Communications MinisterPaul Fletcher to investigate further into the gifting of four senior executives with the total ofA$20,000, equivalent toA$21,929 in 2022, worth of Cartier watches.[84] The watches were initially reported asA$3,000 each, tallyingA$12,000 on purchase. Ms Holgate argued that she did not regret the purchase, as its purpose was to "drive positive change" and "thank and reward positive behaviours".[84] Increasing media attention also contributed to her decision, as it was causing much "debate and distraction" and was negatively impacting her health.[84] She retorted, "I appreciate the optics of the gifts involved do not pass the 'pub test' for many".[84]
The reward was reportedly to tip the four senior executives who secured a deal in 2018, which allowed the customers of Commonwealth Bank, NAB and Westpac to do their banking at the post office.[85]
During Senate Estimates hearing on 22 October 2020, Ms Holgate defended her decision, saying "We are a commercial organisation, it was a recommendation from our chair that these people get rewarded".[This quote needs a citation] Australia Post is owned by the Australian Government, but is commercialised through corporatisation, and does not receive funding from the government.[86]
reflecting an increase in the standard postage stamp price from 41 cents to 45 cents between September 1990 and January 1992
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission today announced its final decision not to object to Australia Post's request to increase the price of the basic postage stamp from 45c to 50c. The increase, which will take effect from January 2003, will see the price of the basic postage stamp rise for the first time in 10 years
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