Australia — Stamps & Postal Service

Postal Service Overview

Australia Post (Australian Postal Corporation) is Australia’s national postal operator, a government business enterprise. Australia’s philatelic history spans the six colonial states — each issuing stamps from the 1850s–1860s — and the Commonwealth of Australia from 1913. Australian state stamps (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania) each constitute major collecting areas in their own right. The 1913 Kangaroo and Map definitives unified Australian postal identity under federation and became one of the world’s most enduring classic series.

Notable Stamp Issues

The colonial state stamps include such celebrated issues as New South Wales’s 1850 Sydney Views, Victoria’s 1850 Half-Lengths, and Tasmania’s 1853 Couriers — all outstanding Victorian-era designs. The Commonwealth of Australia’s 1913 Kangaroo and Map definitives — depicting a kangaroo on a map of Australia — are among the world’s most recognisable stamp designs and the most collected Australian classic stamps. The 1932 Sydney Harbour Bridge commemorative is Australia’s most famous single-design stamp. Modern Australian stamps are produced to the highest technical standards, with annual programs on wildlife, Australiana, and cultural heritage.

Collecting Tips

The ACSC (Australian Commonwealth Specialists’ Catalogue) is essential for Commonwealth stamps. Stanley Gibbons Commonwealth catalogue and Scott are also used. The state stamps require separate specialist catalogues for each colony. Kangaroo and Map stamps span many printings, perforations, and paper varieties across 1913–1936 — a lifetime’s specialist study. Australian Christmas stamps (issued since 1957) form a popular annual thematic run. Wildlife stamps featuring the platypus, koala, echidna, and wombat are popular with nature thematic collectors. Pre-decimal Australian stamps are a popular budget collecting area.

Part of the Oceania Postal Directory.