Postmarks

A postmark is an inked rubber stamp, with an imprint that indicates the date and place. A postal worker will press the postmark onto your letter to show the stamp has been used for postage. The date on the postmark records where and when the item enters the mail system.

Postmarks are just as unique and fascinating as stamps themselves. Take a look at some of our latest ones, and learn how to perfectly place postmark ink onto your collectable items.

Latest postmarks

First day of issue
Temporary and permanent
Stamp show

Norfolk Island Morepork: Back from the Brink postmark

Norfolk Island Morepork: Back from the Brink
Issue date: 21 June 2022

In Memoriam: HRH Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh postmark

In Memoriam: HRH Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh
Issue date: 14 June 2022

Megapodes of Australia
Issue date: 7 June 2022

Bush Seasonings
Issue date: 24 May 2022

Cocos (Keeling) Islands: Historical Jukongs postmark

Cocos (Keeling) Islands: Historical Jukongs
Issue date: 17 May 2022

Aboriginal Fibre Art
Issue date: 3 May 2022

Centenary of the Country Women’s Association postmark

Centenary of the Country Women’s Association
Issue date: 26 April 2022

Postcards to the Front
Issue date: 12 April 2022

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 2022 postmark

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 2022
Issue date: 5 April 2022

Australian Antarctic Territory Penguins postmark

Australian Antarctic Territory Penguins
Issue date: 22 March 2022

Australian Legends of Filmmaking
Issue date: 15 March 2022

Sheepdog Trials: 150 Years
Issue date: 8 March 2022

Our Beautiful Continent
Issue date: 22 February 2022

Times to Cherish
Issue date: 8 February 2022

Buckle Up! 50 Years
Issue date: 25 January 2022

Norfolk Island: Historical Views postmark

Norfolk Island: Historical Views
Issue date: 19 January 2022

Under Sail
Issue date: 11 January 2022

Christmas Island Year of the Tiger 2022 postmark

Christmas Island Year of the Tiger 2022
Issue date: 6 January 2022

First Day of Use: 12 May 2022
Post Office: Belconnen ACT 2617
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Belconnen ACT 2617 | Ngunnawal Country
Pictorial Elements: Owl sculpture
Size: 38mm

First Day of Use: 17 March 2022
Post Office: Macquarie Is. Station AAT
Type: Temporary pictorial
Text: Macquarie Is. Station AAT | First Day of Issue | A.N.A.R.E. | 17 March 2022
Pictorial Elements: Two penguins
Size: 38mm

First Day of Use: 26 February 2022
Post Office: Mawson Station AAT
Type: Temporary pictorial
Text: Mawson Station AAT | First Day of Issue | A.N.A.R.E. | 26 February 2022
Pictorial Elements: Two igloos
Size: 38mm

First Day of Use: 9 November 2021
Post Office: Davis Station AAT
Type: Temporary pictorial
Text: Davis Station AAT | First Day of Issue | A.N.A.R.E. | 9 November 2021
Pictorial Elements: Research hut
Size: 38mm

First Day of Use: 22 November 2021
Post Office: Casey Station AAT
Type: Temporary pictorial
Text: Casey Station AAT | First Day of Issue | A.N.A.R.E. | 22 November 2021
Pictorial Elements: Two seals
Size: 38mm

First Day of Use: 1 April 2022
Post Office: Gundagai NSW 2722
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Gundagai NSW 2722 | Pioneer Monument | Tucker Box
Pictorial Elements: Dog on the Tucker Box statue
Size: 38mm

First Day of Use: 1 March 2022
Post Office: Maitland SA 5573
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Maitland SA 5573 | 150 Years – Heart of the Yorke Peninsula | 1872-2022
Pictorial Elements: Sheaf of wheat
Size: 38mm

First Day of Use: 23 January 2022
Post Office: Kalgoorlie WA 6430
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Kalgoorlie WA 6430 | Paddy Hannan | Kalgoorlie-Boulder
Pictorial Elements: Paddy Hannan monument/statue
Size: 48mm x 48mm square

First Day of Use: 17 January 2022
Post Office: Latrobe TAS 7307
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Latrobe TAS 7307 | Platypus capital of the world
Pictorial Elements: Platypus and bubbles
Size: 38mm diameter

First Day of Use: 10 January 2022
Post Office: Gympie QLD 4570
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Gympie QLD 4570 | Panning for gold
Pictorial Elements: Gold prospector and tools
Size: 38mm diameter

First Day of Use: 6 January 2022
Post Office: Haymarket NSW 2000
Type: Temporary pictorial
Text: Haymarket NSW 2000 | CHINA TOWN Year of the Tiger
Pictorial Elements: Tiger line drawing with symbol
Size: 32mm diameter

First Day of Use: 6 January 2022
Post Office: Bourke Street Melbourne Vic 3000
Type: Temporary pictorial
Text: Bourke Street Melbourne Vic 3000 | CHINA TOWN Year of the Tiger
Pictorial Elements: Tiger line drawing with symbol
Size: 32mm diameter

First Day of Use: 6 January 2022
Post Office: Cabramatta NSW 2166
Type: Temporary pictorial
Text: Cabramatta NSW 2166 | CHINA TOWN Year of the Tiger
Pictorial Elements: Tiger line drawing with symbol
Size: 32mm diameter

First Day of Use: 1 January 2022
Post Office: Koroit VIC 3282
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Koroit VIC 3282 | Koroit Historic Post Office
Pictorial Elements: Historic post office building
Size: 48mm x 48mm square

First Day of Use: 1 January 2022
Post Office: Wynnum QLD 4178
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Wynnum QLD 4178 | Quandamooka Country
Pictorial Elements: Leaping dolphin and waves
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 January 2022
Post Office: Tennant Creek NT 0860
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Tennant Creek NT 0860 | Jurnkkurakurr
Pictorial Elements: Lizard
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 January 2022
Post Office: West Wyalong NSW 2671
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: West Wyalong NSW 2671
Pictorial Elements: Huge poppet head
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 January 2022
Post Office: Moree NSW 2400
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Moree NSW 2400 | Australia’s richest agricultural shire
Pictorial Elements: Wheat, pig and fence
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 January 2022
Post Office: Tully QLD 4854
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Tully QLD 4854 | A pretty wet place
Pictorial Elements: Large gumboot with a frog
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 January 2022
Post Office: Stanley TAS 7331
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Stanley TAS 7331
Pictorial Elements: The Nut sheer-sided bluff
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 January 2022
Post Office: Smithton TAS 7330
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Smithton TAS 7330
Pictorial Elements: The Nut sheer-sided bluff
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 January 2022
Post Office: Smithton TAS 7330
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Smithton TAS 7330
Pictorial Elements: Dairy cow and tractor
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 January 2022
Post Office: Lenah Valley TAS 7008
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Lenah Valley TAS 7008 | Historic Lady Franklin Gallery
Pictorial Elements: Woman’s head in profile with horizontal sidebars
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 January 2022
Post Office: Canberra ACT 2600
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Canberra ACT 2600 | Parliament House
Pictorial Elements: Parliament House in a triangle
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 January 2022
Post Office: Mandurah WA 6210
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Mandurah WA 6210
Pictorial Elements: Blue Manna crab outline
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 January 2022
Post Office: Mandurah East WA 6210
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Mandurah East WA 6210
Pictorial Elements: Blue Manna crab outline
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 January 2022
Post Office: Marysville VIC 3779
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Marysville VIC 3779 | Gateway to Lake Mountain
Pictorial Elements: Skier in action on a slope
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 January 2022
Post Office: Hamilton QLD 4007
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Hamilton QLD 4007 | Right on the river
Pictorial Elements: Riverside city scene
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 January 2022
Post Office: Ceduna SA 5690
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Ceduna SA 5690 | Australian Oyster Capital
Pictorial Elements: Open and closed oyster
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 January 2022
Post Office: Goulburn NSW 2580
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Goulburn NSW 2580 | The First Inland City
Pictorial Elements: Ram, memorial with tower, post office
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 January 2022
Post Office: Kingston ACT 2604
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Kingston ACT 2604
Pictorial Elements: Shoreline and swans on a lake
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 4 December 2021
Post Office: Whitemark TAS 7255
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Flinders | Whitemark Tasmania 7255
Pictorial Elements: Flinders Island
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 December 2021
Post Office: Subiaco WA 6008
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Subiaco Oval WA 6008
Pictorial Elements: Subiaco Oval original entrance outline
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 December 2021
Post Office: Port Augusta SA 5700
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Port Augusta SA 5700
Pictorial Elements: Train in motion
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 December 2021
Post Office: Kingston TAS 7050
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Kingston TAS 7050
Pictorial Elements: Sea-lion on shore
Size: 38mm in diameter

First Day of Use: 1 December 2021
Post Office: Ulverstone TAS 7315
Type: Permanent pictorial
Text: Shrine of Remembrance | Ulverstone TAS 7315
Pictorial Elements: War memorial and clocktower
Size: 38mm in diameter

2022 Newcastle Stamp and Coin Expo 2022 Day 3

First day of use: 29 May 2022
Show: Newcastle Stamp and Coin Expo 2022
Type: Stamp Show temporary postmark
Postmark text: Newcastle Stamp and Coin Expo | Newcastle NSW 2300 | 29 May 2022 | Picture Postcards
Pictorial elements: Greetings Postcards

2022 Newcastle Stamp and Coin Expo 2022 Day 2

First day of use: 28 May 2022
Show: Newcastle Stamp and Coin Expo 2022
Type: Stamp Show temporary postmark
Postmark text: Newcastle Stamp and Coin Expo | Newcastle NSW 2300 | 28 May 2022 | Aviation
Pictorial elements: Jet fighter aeroplane

2022 Newcastle Stamp and Coin Expo 2022 Day 1

First day of use: 27 May 2022
Show: Newcastle Stamp and Coin Expo 2022
Type: Stamp Show temporary postmark
Postmark text: Newcastle Stamp and Coin Expo | Newcastle NSW 2300 | 27 May 2022 | Rural Mail Services
Pictorial elements: Ute truck with letterbox

First day of use: 20 March 2022
Show: 2022 Canberra Stamp Show
Type: Stamp Show temporary postmark
Postmark text: 90th Anniversary of the Philatelic Society of Canberra | 20 March 2022 | Canberra ACT 2601
Pictorial elements: Philatelic Society of Canberra logo

First day of use: 19 March 2022
Show: 2022 Canberra Stamp Show
Type: Stamp Show temporary postmark
Postmark text: 19 March 2022 | Canberra ACT 2601
Pictorial elements: Man and woman wearing masks

First day of use: 18 March 2022
Show: 2022 Canberra Stamp Show
Type: Stamp Show temporary postmark
Postmark text: 18 March 2022 | Canberra ACT 2601
Pictorial elements: Canberra Stampshow 2022 logo

Previous year's postmarks

2021 FDI, temporary and permanent postmarks 2020 FDI, temporary and permanent postmarks

2019 FDI, temporary and permanent postmarks 2018 FDI, temporary and permanent postmarks 2017 First Day of Issue postmarks 2016 First Day of Issue postmarks 2015 First Day of Issue postmarks

The four types of postmarks

National First Day of Issue

Used to commemorate the release of a new stamp on a national level. The locality name is chosen for its link to the stamp issue.

Permanent Pictorial

Reflecting something distinctive to the locality, such as penguins for the town of Penguin in Tasmania or a lighthouse if one is prominent in the area.

Temporary

These postmarks are used on either single days or consecutive days commemorating a special event.

Individual location

Postmarks associated with a historical or geographical reflection of the local area but not necessarily pictorial and can be used to cancel first day of issue stamps only.

Applying a postmark

If you need a postmark applied to your philatelic item, head to your local Post Office. Only authorised Australia Post staff can apply postmarks. Make sure you’re getting the right kind of postmark applied. You’ll want a national postmark on a first day cover, the correct commemorative postmark for a special occasion stamp, and so on.

Request that the postmark impression is applied with clarity and precision - no smudging! Black is the only colour ink that should be used. Catch the corner of the stamp - don’t cover up the stamp design. Refer to the images below as a guide.