Is Australia Post Open Today? Holiday Hours & Services Guide
Have you ever needed to mail a letter, collect a parcel, or access other Australia Post services only to find your local post office or facility unexpectedly closed? With hundreds of retail outlets and distribution centers across Australia, how can you easily check if Australia Post is open today?
The short answer is that in most cases, Australia Post locations follow regular opening hours Monday-Friday and partial hours on Saturdays. However, public holidays, Christmas closures, and regional variances can modify trading times. This complete guide provides details on finding current hours for your area, how holidays impact operations, Sunday parcel options, contacting Australia Post, and more so you’ll never wonder – is Australia Post open today?
We’ll cover:
- Checking if your local Australia Post office is open
- Finding opening hours for any Australia Post location
- Standard trading times on regular weekdays and weekends
- How public holidays affect hours and mail services
- Special Christmas and Easter holiday schedules
- Accessing post offices, parcel deliveries, and services on Sundays
- Sending mail and getting deliveries when locations are closed
- Confirming holiday openings and operations directly with Australia Post
So whether you need to visit an Australia Post retail outlet to buy postage, use a parcel locker, collect a delivery, or access PO Box mail, this guide has all the holiday hours and service details to plan your postal activities.
Checking If Your Local Australia Post Office Is Open
With over 4,000 retail post offices and business centers across Australia, your first step to determine if Australia Post is open is identifying your closest location. You can search suburban post offices by suburb or location name on the Australia Post website.
Once you select your local outlet, you’ll see standard opening and closing times for regular trading days. You can then scroll down to check details under the “Public Holidays” tab for any closures or modified hours on upcoming holiday dates. Lists vary for each state and territory, accounting for both national public holidays and regional public holidays.
Calling your local post office directly is another simple way to verify hours for today or upcoming holiday dates. If no one picks up, check the recorded message for any notices about holiday closures or short-term changes.
You can also follow your local Australia Post branch on Facebook or Twitter to get notifications about adjusted holiday operations or closures as they occur throughout the year.
Finding Australia Post Hours for a Specific Location
Beyond suburban post offices, Australia Post also has retail stands inside some shopping centers and supermarkets, plus 24/7 parcel lockers and parcel collect facilities. To determine if one of these outlets is open near you:
- Search parcel collect locations by suburb or location to find standalone parcel collection sites and check their trading hours
- Look up opening times for parcel lockers inside post offices, supermarkets, or gas stations
- For postal agencies operating within pharmacies, news agencies, or other retailers, check opening times on the host business’s website or by calling directly
Once you select an Australia Post retail or collection point, scroll down to find today’s opening hours listed at the top. You can click on the “Public Holidays” tab on each location page to see upcoming holiday closure details as well.
If searching doesn’t pinpoint an outlet near you, call Australia Post’s customer service on 13 76 78 for guidance. Let them know what postal products or services you need (e.g. postage stamps, parcel collection) and when, and they can advise the closest open location.
What Are Australia Post’s Regular Trading Hours?
When it’s not a public holiday, most company-owned Australia Post retail outlets adhere to standard opening hours:
- Monday to Friday: 9am – 5pm
- Saturdays: 9am – 12:30pm
- Sundays: Closed
Beyond post offices, timings for other Australia Post facilities like distribution centers, business hubs, and franchise outlets can vary depending on the operator.
You’ll also find differences in regular trading times for Australia Post services within third party retailers:
- Postal agencies in news agencies or pharmacies: Align with host store hours
- Parcel lockers: 24/7 access
- Parcel collect outlets: Some open earlier, later, or on Sundays
So while the above post office hours reflect common weekday and Saturday operations, always check location pages for precise open and closed times.
How Do Public Holidays Affect Australia Post Hours and Operations?
Public holidays impact trading hours across many Australia Post services:
- Post offices and retail outlets: Closed on national public holidays
- Delivery operations: No regular mail delivery on national and state public holidays
- Contact centers: Closed on national public holidays
In 2024, the following 11 dates are national public holidays in Australia when most postal services will be affected:
- New Year’s Day
- Australia Day
- Good Friday
- Easter Sunday
- Easter Monday
- Anzac Day
- Christmas Day
- Boxing Day
- Queen’s Birthday
- Labor Day
- Christmas Day
Additional state and regional public holidays celebrated only in certain areas will also lead to local Australia Post closures and delivery changes.
For example, Adelaide Cup Day on March 13 impacts South Australian postal operations while the Royal Queensland Show day on August 16 causes Brisbane changes.
Check our public holiday calendar for exact dates in your state or territory. Then look up your local post office page to see special holiday hours under the “Public Holidays” tab.
While deliveries and post office transactions halt during holidays, you can still buy postage online and use 24/7 parcel lockers to send pre-paid parcels on days when facilities are closed.
Australia Post Hours and Services on Christmas Holidays
In the weeks surrounding Christmas and New Year’s Day every year, Australia Post implements unique holiday arrangements:
- Retail outlets: Most post offices close at midday on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Suburban outlets also shut early the business day before Good Friday and Boxing Day while CBD locations remain open regular weekday hours those days.
- Deliveries: No mail pickups or deliveries on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Delivery operations wind down early on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
- Contact centers and processing facilities: Closed Christmas Day and open all other days excluding weekends as usual. See holiday arrangements for fine print.
- Third party operators: Hours at postal agencies within news agencies, pharmacies, or other retailers may vary.
During the festive peak season, domestic parcels and Express Post items incur extra charges for guaranteed delivery before Christmas when sent after posted cut-off deadlines. See Christmas delivery advice.
Is Australia Post Open on Easter Holiday Weekend and Other Long Weekends?
As a public holiday span surrounded by weekends, Easter lead times present a unique operational situation for Australia Post. Here’s what to expect over the 4-day Easter break:
- Post offices: Closed Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Open regular Saturday hours before Easter Sunday. Closed Easter Monday.
- Deliveries: No pickups or deliveries Good Friday, Easter Sunday, or Easter Monday.
- Parcel lockers: Remain accessible 24/7 over the long weekend.
- Third party outlets: Some newsagencies or stores with Australia Post services may open during the 4-day break. Verify with individual stores.
Trading is also affected on other 3-day public holiday spans like the Queen’s Birthday and Labor Day long weekends. Always check upcoming holiday hours for your area to confirm closures.
Accessing Australia Post on Sundays and Weekends
While most suburban post offices are closed Sundays, you still have options for sending parcels or collecting mail on weekends without weekday post office access:
- Use 24/7 parcel lockers to drop off pre-paid parcels for lodgement the next business day
- Pick up deliveries from parcel collect outlets with Sunday hours in some areas like 7-Eleven, Startrack Couriers, or other transport depots
- Have parcels redirected to a parcel collect location open Sunday
Rather than waiting for Tuesday for home delivery after a long weekend, rerouting parcels to alternate collection sites with weekend hours provides a convenient way to access items. Parcel redirect and collection also helps avoid “sorry we missed you” delivery failure slips.
Sending Mail When Australia Post Locations Are Closed
During public holidays and Sundays when post offices are closed, you have alternatives for accomplishing key postal tasks:
- Buy stamps online for use anytime
- Prepay postage online then drop letters and parcels in red street posting boxes found across Australia
- Use the Australia Post app to identify closest posting box locations
- Drop parcels at 24/7 automated parcel lockers
- Reroute deliveries to alternate collection sites open outside standard hours
- Authorize drivers to leave parcels in a safe place on the Australia Post delivery instructions if you won’t be home
While some services like registered post require counter lodgement during trading hours, everyday stamped mail and prepaid parcels can still enter the postal network via street posting and parcel lockers during holidays or Sundays.
Contacting Australia Post About Holiday Hours and Operations
If you need extra reassurance about closures or have additional questions about impacted services in your area over holidays, contact Australia Post directly:
- Call the customer contact center on 13 76 78
- Send Australia Post a Facebook message with location details and your question
- Tweet enquiries to @auspost including your suburb, state, and postal needs
- Check announcement posts on the Australia Post website for real-time service updates
Whether you want to double check trading times for post offices over Easter, require clarity on delivery schedules between Christmas and New Year’s Day, need guidance using parcel locker over a long weekend, or have other holiday-related postal queries – Australia Post representatives can advise.
Conclusion: Key Takeaways When Wondering “Is Australia Post Open Today?”
While Australia Post locations typically open weekday hours and Saturday mornings outside of holidays, closures and exceptions occur. By bookmarking your local outlet’s web page to check public holiday listings as well as utilizing parcel redirection and prepaid postal options – you can work around changed trading times.
Here are the top tips to easily verify open hours and access services anytime:
- Call or search individual post office web pages to confirm today’s trading and upcoming holiday arrangements
- Follow outlets on social for real-time closure notifications
- Use 24/7 automated parcel lockers to post parcels on closed days
- Redirect deliveries to alternate sites open weekends/holidays
- Buy stamps online and drop mail in street posting boxes to keep sending even when post offices are shut
- Contact Australia Post customer service for personalized holiday operating advice
So the next time you need to urgently send a parcel or collect that long-awaited overseas delivery and aren’t sure if your nearest post office is open – use the guidance in this guide to conveniently access postal services.