Australia Post

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Australia Post is the government-owned postal service monopoly of Australia.

[edit] History

The first postmaster of Sydney was an ex-convict, Isaac Nichols, who took the post in 1809, and postal services grew throughout the Australian colonies as they were established. His main job was to collect mail from arriving ships, rather than having a free for all hitherto.

A regular Sydney-Melbourne overland service began in 1838, as did the issuance of prepaid postage stamps, and by 1849 uniform postal rates were established by agreement between the colonies. Monthly steamship sea mail to the United Kingdom was established in 1856. The separate colonies joined the Universal Postal Union in 1891.

In 1901, the colonial mail systems were merged into the Postmaster-General's Department (or PMG). This body was responsible for telegraph and domestic telephone operations as well as postal mail. According to Australia Post, their Sydney Mail Exchange introduced mechanical mail-handling equipment in 1930, and was the first service in the world to do so.

On July 1, 1975, separate government commissions were created to undertake the operational responsibilities of the PMG. One of these was the Australian Postal Commission, trading as Australia Post. It later changed its name to the Australian Postal Corporation on January 1, 1989 when it was corporatised, although it still trades as Australia Post.

[edit] Current activities

While remaining government-owned, and with a monopoly over standard letter delivery (addressed letters less than 250 grams and less than 4 times the standard letter rate), the organisation's activities outside standard letter delivery have become steadily more entrepreneurial, selling a wide range of nominally postal-related goods such as cards, gifts, and stationery as well as Money Orders and Travellers Cheques. However, perhaps its biggest non-traditional business has been its bill payments service, where a large selection of financial institutions, insurance companies, government departments, utility companies, and others support transactions through Australia Post's extensive branch network. Australia Post also provide an express, overnight delivery service, which ensures next day delivery to most Australian address at reasonable cost. Other postal services include a private post box service which are located at Post Offices, and a mail redirection service.

While many Commonwealth and state-government-owned utilities have been privatised in Australia over the past two decades (such as the various energy companies, the Commonwealth Bank, and Qantas), Australia Post remains in full government ownership. There have been no plans to privatise Australia Post to date, nor reduce its monopoly further.

[edit] Board Members

• Linda Nichols (Chairman)
• David Mortimer
• Graeme John (Managing director)
• Mark Birrell
• Margaret M Gibson
• Peter McLaughlin
• Sandra McPhee
• Edward Tweddell
• Ian Warner

[edit] Australia Post Facts

• Revenue of $4.32 Billion.

• Profit of $524.5 Million.

• $286 Million was paid out in Dividends (to the Australian Federal Government).

• Letters sent amounted to 4.97 Billion items, which equals approximately 20 million items per day.

• Delivered 94.9% of letters on time or early.

• Only half of Australia Post's revenue comes from delivering letters, the rest comes from other activities.

• 201 Million banking and bill payment transactions.

• Australia Post has over 4,740 outlets.

• Australia Post has over 34,800 employees.

• Australia Post owns 50% of Australian Air Express and Star Track Express with the remainder of both companies held by QANTAS

• All undelivered items go to the Dead Letter Office, which attempts to return the items to their sender.

[edit] See also

• Mail
• Postage stamps and postal history of Australia
• Australia Post Stamps and Products
• Section 51(v) of the Australian Constitution - on the postal services power in the Australian constitution

[edit] External links

• Australia Post
• Postcode Search
• Postage Calculator
• Express Post
• Corporate History of Australia Post
• Northern Territory Postcode

Categories: Postal organisations | Communications in Australia | Postal system of Australia | Government entities of Australia