Postal Areas
Postal Areas (POA) are Mesh Block approximations of a generalised definition of Australian postcodes. Postal Areas are determined using the best available postcode boundaries current at the time of creation and will not reflect subsequent changes until ASGS Edition 5 (2031).
Postal Areas enable the release, comparison, and analysis of ABS data with other data collected using postcodes as the geographic reference. Postal Areas do not match official Australia Post postcode and are not designed for the collection or analysis of statistics. Care should be taken when using postcodes or ABS Mesh Block approximated Postal Areas for statistical analysis.
There are 2,645 Postal Areas covering the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps. This includes 3 non-spatial special purpose codes. More information is available in the POA coding structure section below.
The Other Territories of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island, and Norfolk Island are each represented by individual Postal Areas. Jervis Bay is included in NSW.
POA design criteria
Postal Areas (POA) are Mesh Blocks approximations of a generalised definition of Australian postcodes.
Each Mesh Block is generally allocated to the postcode where the largest proportion of population is located. Some postcodes are not included in Postal Areas when a Mesh Block cannot be allocated to a postcode. This occurs where:
- a Mesh Block covers more than one whole postcode, and the Mesh Block can be allocated to only one postcode
- more than one Mesh Block partly covers a postcode, but all the Mesh Blocks are allocated to neighbouring postcodes, based on population.
Postal Areas exclude postcodes that are not street delivery areas. These include post office boxes, mail back competitions, large volume receivers, and specialist delivery postcodes which are not valid locations for population data.
Some postcodes cross state or territory borders. These are listed in the table below.
| POA Code | States/Territories |
|---|---|
| 0872 | Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia |
| 2406 | New South Wales, Queensland |
| 2540 | New South Wales, Other Territories |
| 2611 | New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory |
| 2618 | New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory |
| 2620 | New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory |
| 3644 | Victoria, New South Wales |
| 3691 | Victoria, New South Wales |
| 3707 | Victoria, New South Wales |
| 4375 | Queensland, New South Wales |
| 4377 | Queensland, New South Wales |
| 4380 | Queensland, New South Wales |
| 4383 | Queensland, New South Wales |
| 4385 | Queensland, New South Wales |
| 4825 | Queensland, Northern Territory |
POA name criteria
Postal Areas (POA) are not named as there is no standardised name available. As a result, the Postal Area code is repeated in the name field.
POA coding structure
Each Postal Area (POA) code coincides with the corresponding 4-digit Australia Post postcode, as shown in the examples below. Postal Areas may not match every Australia Post postal code.
| POA code | POA name |
|---|---|
| 2614 | 2614 |
| 2615 | 2615 |
| 2617 | 2617 |
| 2618 | 2618 |
| 2619 | 2619 |
| 9494 | No usual address (Aust) |
| 9797 | Migratory - Offshore - Shipping (Aust) |
| ZZZZ | Outside Australia |
Postal Area codes may not match those used in previous editions of the ASGS because postcodes can be abolished, or boundaries adjusted, or new postcodes created over time.
A geographic correspondence file enabling the conversion of data from ASGS Edition 3 (2021) to ASGS Edition 4 (2026) is available in the access and downloads section of this publication.
Special purpose codes are included as balancing items. Mesh Blocks allocated to these codes are not part of any Australia Post postal area:
- 9797 for people coded to Migratory, Offshore, and Shipping Mesh Blocks.
- 9494 for people coded to No usual address Mesh Blocks.
- ZZZZ for people coded to Outside Australia.
Special purpose codes are described in more detail in the Main Structure and Greater Capital City Statistical Areas section of this publication.