_____ _____ Australia

Global Sourcebook for International Data Management

                                         by Graham Rhind

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Australia

Global Sourcebook | Index | Properties

AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIA

For supplementary information, see links to post office home pages here External, to postal code pages here External and to other personal name and addressing issues pages here External.

Table of Contents

Australia - Country information

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Local short name form

Official name

Area

Population

26 648 878 (2021 estimate) [1]

Capital

Currency

International telephone access code

61

ISO 3166 country codes

Car nationality plate code

AUS

Internet country code

AU

GRC Country Code

AST

Australia - Number format

   1,234.45

(where . indicates the decimal separator and , the thousands separator)

Australia - Date and time formats

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   Note: This section last updated 25th March 2021
   dd/mm/yyyy
   dd.mm.yyyy

Both the 12-hour and 24-hour clock notation are used.

   14:32

Australia - Languages

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The official language is English External (15 682 000 speakers). 233 other languages are spoken, most by only a handful of people. The most widespread of these are: Kala Lagaw Ya External (3-4 000 speakers); Kriol External (10 000 speakers); Pitjantjatjara External (2 500 speakers) and Torres Strait Creole External (23 400 speakers).

Australia - Forms of address

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Mrsand Miss are not commonly used in Australia any more – use Ms as the female honorific instead.

   Tables of forms of address External can be acquired

Personal names in Australia

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   Note: This section last updated 8th October 2023

Australian law provides a number of restrictions in how babies may be named. These include:

   Tables of names can be acquired: given names External, surnames/family names External, family name prefixes External, forms of address External, job titles External

Australia - Company legal forms

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These company types are commonly found in Australia:

   Incorporated (Inc.)
   Limited (Ltd)
   No Liability (NL)
   P/L or Pty. Ltd. – Proprietary limited company
   PC LtdPublic company limited by shares
   Proprietary (Unlimited Proprietary) 
   Comprehensive tables of these strings can be acquired – see http://www.grcdi.nl/addresses.htm External

Australia - Address formats

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   Note: This section last updated 3rd May 2020

Addresses are formatted as follows:

   NAME or COMPANY NAME
   {Any other information, such as “Attention: ” etc.}
   NUMBER[ ]THOROUGHFARE NAME[ ]THOROUGHFARE TYPE
   SUBURB[ ]STATE CODE[  ]POSTAL CODE

For example:

image

Two spaces may be left between the state code and the postal code.

Sub-building information is shown before the building number, followed by a slash in this way:

   2/21 RAMSEY STREET

The Australian post office prefers that the address is written in upper-case only, that it contain no punctuation, and that it should be on no more than 3 lines.

The state codes, with their postal code ranges, are:

State/Territory Code Postal code range
Australian Antarctic Territory External AAT  
Australian Capital Territory External ACT 0200-0299 (post office boxes and large users); 2600-2618, 2900-2920 (street addresses)
New South Wales External (includes Norfolk Island) NSW 1000-1999 (post office boxes and large users); 2000-2599, 2619-2898, 2921-2999 (street addresses)
Northern Territory External NT 0900-0999 (post office boxes and large users); 0800-0899 (street addresses)
Queensland External QLD 9000-9999 (post office boxes and large users); 4000-4999 (street addresses)
South Australia External SA 5800-5999 (post office boxes and large users); 5000-5799 (street addresses)
Tasmania External (includes Heard and McDonald Islands) TAS 7800-7999 (post office boxes and large users); 7000-7499 (street addresses)
Victoria External VIC 8000-8999 (post office boxes and large users); 3000-3999 (street addresses)
Western Australia External (includes Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands) WA 6800-6999 (post office boxes and large users); 6000-6799 (street addresses)

Note that some postal code zones cross state and territory borders.

   This regions/postal code data can be acquired as a data file External
   A table containing information about the relevant position of elements within address blocks can be acquired External

The postal delivery types, and their standard abbreviations, are:

String Abbreviation
CARE OF POST OFFICE CARE PO
COMMUNITY MAIL AGENT CMA
COMMUNITY MAIL BAG CMB
COMMUNITY POSTAL AGENT CPA
GENERAL POST OFFICE BOX GPO BOX
LOCKED MAIL BAG SERVICE LOCKED BAG
MAIL SERVICE MS
POST OFFICE BOX PO BOX
POSTE RESTANTE CARE PO
PRIVATE MAIL BAG SERVICE PRIVATE BAG
ROADSIDE DELIVERY RSD
ROADSIDE MAIL BAG RMB
ROADSIDE MAIL BOX RMB
ROADSIDE MAIL SERVICE RMS
   Comprehensive tables of these strings can be acquired – see http://www.grcdi.nl/addresses.htm External

Building indicators

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The following standard abbreviations are preferred by Australia Post.

String Abbreviation
APARTMENT APT
BASEMENT B
COTTAGE CTGE
DUPLEX DUP
FACTORY FY
FLAT F
FLOOR FL
GROUND FLOOR G
HOUSE HSE
KIOSK KSK
LEVEL L
LOWER GROUND FLOOR LG
MAISONETTE MSNT
MARINE BERTH MB
MEZZANINE M
OFFICE OFF
PENTHOUSE PTHS
ROOM RM
STALL SL
STUDIO STU
SUITE SE
TOWNHOUSE TNHS
UNIT U
UPPER GROUND FLOOR UG
VILLA VLLA
WAREHOUSE WE
   Comprehensive tables of these strings can be acquired – see http://www.grcdi.nl/addresses.htm External

Thoroughfare types

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The following standard abbreviations are preferred by Australia Post.

String Abbreviation
ACCESS ACCS
ALLEY ALLY
ALLEYWAY ALWY
AMBLE AMBL
ANCHORAGE ANCG
APPROACH APP
ARCADE ARC
ARTERY ART
AVENUE AVE
BASIN BASN
BEACH BCH
BEND BEND
BLOCK BLK
BOULEVARD BVD
BRACE BRCE
BRAE BRAE
BREAK BRK
BRIDGE BDGE
BROADWAY BDWY
BROW BROW
BYPASS BYPA
BYWAY BYWY
CAUSEWAY CAUS
CENTRE CTR
CENTREWAY CNWY
CHASE CH
CIRCLE CIR
CIRCLET CLT
CIRCUIT CCT
CIRCUS CRCS
CLOSE CL
COLONNADE CLDE
COMMON CMMN
CONCOURSE CON
COPSE CPS
CORNER CNR
CORSO CSO
COURT CT
COURTYARD CTYD
COVE COVE
CRESCENT CRES
CREST CRST
CROSS CRSS
CROSSING CRSG
CROSSROAD CRD
CROSSWAY COWY
CRUISEWAY CUWY
CUL-DE-SAC CDS
CUTTING CTTG
DALE DALE
DELL DELL
DEVIATION DEVN
DIP DIP
DISTRIBUTOR DSTR
DRIVE DR
DRIVEWAY DRWY
EDGE EDGE
ELBOW ELB
END END
ENTRANCE ENT
ESPLANADE ESP
ESTATE EST
EXPRESSWAY EXP
EXTENSION EXTN
FAIRWAY FAWY
FIRE TRACK FTRK
FIRETRAIL FITR
FLAT FLAT
FOLLOW FOLW
FOOTWAY FTWY
FORESHORE FSHR
FORMATION FORM
FREEWAY FWY
FRONT FRNT
FRONTAGE FRTG
GAP GAP
GARDEN GDN
GARDENS GDNS
GATE GTE
GATES GTES
GLADE GLD
GLEN GLEN
GRANGE GRA
GREEN GRN
GROUND GRND
GROVE GR
GULLY GLY
HEIGHTS HTS
HIGHROAD HRD
HIGHWAY HWY
HILL HILL
INTERCHANGE INTG
INTERSECTION INTN
JUNCTION JNC
KEY KEY
LANDING LDG
LANE LANE
LANEWAY LNWY
LEES LEES
LINE LINE
LINK LINK
LITTLE LT
LOOKOUT LKT
LOOP LOOP
LOWER LWR
MALL MALL
MEANDER MNDR
MEW MEW
MEWS MEWS
MOTORWAY MWY
MOUNT MT
NOOK NOOK
OUTLOOK OTLK
PARADE PDE
PARK PARK
PARKLANDS PKLD
PARKWAY PKWY
PART PART
PASS PASS
PATH PATH
PATHWAY PHWY
PIAZZA PIAZ
PLACE PL
PLATEAU PLAT
PLAZA PLZA
POCKET PKT
POINT PNT
PORT PORT
PROMENADE PROM
QUAD QUAD
QUADRANGLE QDGL
QUADRANT QDRT
QUAY QY
QUAYS QYS
RAMBLE RMBL
RAMP RAMP
RANGE RNGE
REACH RCH
RESERVE RES
REST REST
RETREAT RTT
RIDE RIDE
RIDGE RDGE
RIDGEWAY RGWY
RIGHT OF WAY ROWY
RING RING
RISE RISE
RIVER RVR
RIVERWAY RVWY
RIVIERA RVRA
ROAD RD
ROADS RDS
ROADSIDE RDSD
ROADWAY RDWY
RONDE RNDE
ROSEBOWL RSBL
ROTARY RTY
ROUND RND
ROUTE RTE
ROW ROW
RUE RUE
RUN RUN
SERVICE WAY SWY
SIDING SDNG
SLOPE SLPE
SOUND SND
SPUR SPUR
SQUARE SQ
STAIRS STRS
STATE HIGHWAY SHWY
STEPS STPS
STRAND STRA
STREET ST
STRIP STRP
SUBWAY SBWY
TARN TARN
TERRACE TCE
THOROUGHFARE THOR
TOLLWAY TLWY
TOP TOP
TOR TOR
TOWERS TWRS
TRACK TRK
TRAIL TRL
TRAILER TRLR
TRIANGLE TRI
TRUNKWAY TKWY
TURN TURN
UNDERPASS UPAS
UPPER UPR
VALE VALE
VIADUCT VDCT
VIEW VIEW
VILLAS VLLS
VISTA VSTA
WADE WADE
WALK WALK
WALKWAY WKWY
WAY WAY
WHARF WHRF
WYND WYND
YARD YARD

Directionals are abbreviated in this way:

String Abbreviation
CENTRAL CN
EAST E
EXTENSION EX
LOWER LR
NORTH N
NORTH EAST NE
NORTH WEST NW
SOUTH S
SOUTH EAST SE
SOUTH WEST SW
UPPER UP
WEST W

Comprehensive tables of these strings can be acquired – see http://www.grcdi.nl/addresses.htm External

Australia - Postal codes

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   Note: This section last updated 3rd May 2020

Postal codes (known locally as postcode) consist of a block of 4 digits. The first two digits indicate (in most cases) the state or territory and a postal zone; and the final two the delivery office. Most municipalities, settlements or suburbs have a single own code. Post office boxes have different postal codes to street addresses, and large users may also have a unique code. A company can therefore possibly have two codes. The mailing address (post office box/large user) should in these cases be used in preference to the street address.

   Metadata containing postal code formatting rules, exceptions and regular expressions can be acquired External

Australia - Postal code format graphic

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Australia - Postal code format

Australia - Postal code specifics

n/a

Australia - Postal code regular expression

\A\d{4,4}\Z

Australia - Postal code level of coverage

3

Australia - Postal code map

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Click on the map for a larger image

Coloured areas show where postal code zones cross state and territory borders.

Place names in Australia

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   Note: This section last updated 18th November 2020

Australia Post now supports the use of Aboriginal place names External in addresses. These place names would not replace the “European” versions but would be written above the street address line within the address block. Aboriginal versions of place names include:

Aboriginal
Adelaide Kaurna
Brisbane Yuggera
Canberra Ngunawal
Melbourne Woiworung
Perth Wajuk
Sydney Eora

Refer to Exonyms in Australia for full lists of place names in Australia in other languages.

Australia - Administrative districts

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   Note: This section last updated 19th March 2011

Australia consists of 6 states and 2 territories (3 if Jervis Bay Territory External is regarded as separate from Australia Capital Territory). Their codes (see above, section “Address Format”) are used in addresses.

Australia administers the populated external territories of Christmas Island (postal code WA 6798), Cocos (Keeling) Islands (postal code WA 6799) and Norfolk Island (postal code NSW 2899), and the unpopulated external territories of The Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Australian Antarctic Territory, Coral Sea Island and Heard and McDonald Islands.

Administrative districts graphic

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Telephone numbers in Australia

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Australian telephone numbers, including area codes, when called from abroad, have a length of 9. Mobile numbers commence with a 4.

Properties with value Australia

References

  1. ^ citypopulation.de/en/australia/admin/ External 20240611
  2. ^ https://harryquinn.com.au/naming-laws-in-australia/ External 20231008

Every effort is made to keep this resource updated. If you find any errors, or have any questions or requests, please don't hesitate to contact the author.

All information copyright Graham Rhind 2024. Any information used should be acknowledged and referenced.