Address: Australian Postcode, (Postcode datafile) NNNN

Guide for use:

Australian postal addresses should include a valid postcode. Refer to the Australia Post Address Presentation Standard for rules on presentation and positioning of postcodes on mail.

For a full list of Australian postcodes visit the Australia Post website: www.auspost.com.au

This data element may be used in the analysis of data on a geographical basis which involves coding data containing an address with a postcode to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) areas. The ABS provides a number of coding indexes and correspondences to undertake this conversion from postcode to ASGS areas. (See the correspondences section of ABS geography portal www.abs.gov.au/geography).

A more accurate way to convert address data to ASGS geography is to use the locality to SA2 coding index, available from ABS, where the locality, postcode and state, (which are all part of an address), used in conjunction can effectively code data to the SA2 level and above in the ASGS. Note that it is not possible to code to SA1 level using these correspondences or indexes.

This data element is one of a number of items that can be used to create a primary address, as recommended by the AS 4590-2006 Interchange of client information standard. Components of the primary address are:

• Address site (or Primary complex) name
• Address number or number range
• Road name (name/type/suffix)
• Locality
• State/Territory
• Postcode (optional)
• Country (if applicable).