Australia Post


Australia Post, formally the Australian Postal Corporation and also known as AusPost, is an Australian Government-owned corporation that provides postal services throughout Australia. Australia Post's head office is located on Swan Street in Richmond, Victoria.
Australia Post is the successor of the Postmaster-General's Department, which was established at federation 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. The organisation's current name and structure were adopted in 1989 when it was made into a government-owned corporation.

History

Colonial Australia (pre–1901)

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.
The first organisation of a postal service in Australia commenced in 1809 with the appointment in Sydney of the first postmaster. An English ex-convict, Isaac Nichols, took the post operating from his home in George 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. He would advertise in the Sydney Gazette the names of all those who received mail. Recipients paid a fixed price of one shilling, equivalent to in, 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.
Between 1812 and 1842, postmasters were also appointed in Tasmania, Western Australia, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland. Settlements outside of the postmasters' domain were serviced by contractors on horsebacks or in coaches.
In 1825, the New South Wales Legislative Council passed the Postal Act which transferred responsibility from Nichols, acting as a private company, to the governor. The governor would then set the wage of the postmaster and the cost of collecting mail.

20th century

Following federation in 1901, the colonial mail systems were merged into the Postmaster-General's Department. This body was responsible for telegraph and domestic telephone operations as well as postal mail. An airmail service was introduced in 1914. In 1967, 4-digit postcodes in Australia were introduced, in addition to the world's first mechanical processing centre, which garnered international attention.
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 the Australian Postal Corporation, or Australia Post.
In December 1987, 21-year-old Melbourne University student Frank Vitkovic, while experiencing a mental 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 the Queen Street massacre. The mass shooting left eight Australia Post and other company employees dead. The perpetrator fell to his death from the building while struggling with a security guard. The incident resulted in calls to strengthen gun control laws in Australia.

21st century

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 being scam mail.
In February 2010, Ahmed Fahour was appointed MD of Australia Post. 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 a strategic business unit called eServices.
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.
In September 2015, the corporation announced its first loss in 30 years. The loss, equivalent to in, was down from a profit the previous year. Large decreases in addressed and stamped mail led to a loss in the mail delivery side of the business. Parcel delivery then accounted for over half of total revenue. Overall revenue was stable at, equivalent to in.
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 Minister Malcolm Turnbull criticised CEO Ahmed Fahour's, equivalent to in, 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." On 23 February 2017, Fahour announced his resignation, effective July 2017, telling media that the decision was not related to discussion of his salary.
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.
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; three Fuso Ecanters in Melbourne.
In 2025, Australia Post indefinitely suspended most deliveries to the United States and Puerto Rico, citing tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

Operational development

Responding to competitive pressures, Australia Post continued to broaden its product and service range in 2019, having invested in extensive technology-based infrastructure programmes. It operates in three core areas: letters and associated services; retail merchandise and agency services; and parcels and logistics. It has a number of subsidiaries and joint ventures, including Sai Cheng Logistics Internationala joint-venture logistics company established with China Post in 2005.
Australia Post operates regular mail delivery as well as an express and courier service through Messenger Post.
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, the Australian 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; and serves more than a million customers in postal outlets every business day. When the basic domestic letter rate was increased to on 4 January 2016, there were no changes to prices of concession stamps or seasonal greeting stamps, which remained at and respectively. At the same time, a category of priority mail was introduced, under which delivery standards were varied and a priority label was required as additional payment for the better standard.
Under the Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989, letters up to are reserved to Australia Postother 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 came from selling products and services in competitive markets.

Organisational structure and information

Board of directors

Empty cells have no data available for that year. All results as at 30 June of the year indicated.
YearFull-time staffPart-time staffOther staffSource
1993319343999
19943113042045626
19953162145015253
19963204056897849
19973111161858466
19982956469619151
19992820567569776
20002691584829455
20012707984589660
20022695088129703
20032639490339557
20042601990309559
20052585189539570
20062538791966415
20072502694986247
2008250939936
200925149103608106
20102420510252
20112336910103
2012232219810
2013235268938
2014273158613
2015270988195
2019277857316