Our Post - What's it all about?

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The journey of a letter

Australia Post's extensive mail processing network is a valuable national asset. It ensures that people receive their mail reliably and cost-effectively.

The beginning of the journey

After you have written your letter, address your envelope. Don't forget your return address and the postcode! Letters begin their journey when they are posted in a street posting box or at the local post office.

Mail centre

Mail is collected and taken to a mail processing facility. Australia Post staff then work through the night to sort the mail into destinations throughout Australia and the rest of the world. Letters and parcels are processed at different facilities.

Letters

At the processing facilities, bulky mail is separated and enveloped mail is all turned around the same way. High-tech machinery then reads the addresses and can process up to 35,000 letters an hour. Letters are sorted ready for sending to delivery centres in the states.

Parcels

Most parcels are also processed using state of-the-art, mechanised sorting equipment which can process over 300,000 parcels a day.

Express Post mail

Express Post mail is sorted quickly and must be completed by 8pm each day to ensure that it meets up with transport connections for delivery to many parts of Australia the next business day.

Delivery to destination

Posties deliver mail to household letterboxes and business addresses by van, motorcycle, bicycle or on foot. In some remote areas of the country, mail is delivered by plane or boat. On average, each postie's delivery round covers 1,200 delivery points. Some people collect their mail from their post office box.