Street Numbers: Australia's Unique Addressing System

what is a street number australia

In Australia, a complete location address requires, at a minimum, an address number, a road name, a locality (suburb) name, and a state or territory name. The City of Melbourne, for example, is responsible for creating or changing road names and allocating numbers to properties within the municipality. In Australian addresses, the number in front of the slash refers to the unit number, and the number behind it refers to the street number.

Characteristics Values
Street number punctuation Slash and hyphen
Number in front of the slash Unit number
Number behind the slash Street number
Rural address numbering Continuous for the full length of the road
Minimum complete address requirements Address number, road name, locality (suburb) name, and state or territory name
Address allocation in Melbourne Managed by the City of Melbourne
Street number allocation Odd numbers on one side, even on the other
Street number display Must be clearly displayed in a prominent position

shunculture

Address format

The address format in Australia typically follows the structure below:

[Unit No.]/[Street No.] [Street Name] [City] [State or Territory] [Postal Code]

For example, an address could be formatted as "Unit 12/78 Kangaroo Street, Koalaford, New South Wales, 3456". In this example, "Unit 12" refers to the specific unit number within the building, while "78" is the street number. Note that Australia uses a 4-digit postal code.

It is important to use correct punctuation when writing out Australian addresses. Only two types of punctuation are typically used: the slash and the hyphen. The slash separates the unit and street numbers, while the hyphen indicates a range of addresses, often used for housing complexes that span multiple stretches of roads.

In rural areas, address numbering is typically continuous for the full length of the road (for roads less than 1,000 km long). Local governments are responsible for naming roads and maintaining a roads register. They also supply and install a post displaying the address number, usually at the access point to the property.

Additionally, when displaying your street number on your property, ensure it is clearly visible and placed in a prominent position. Use a colour that stands out, such as black numbers on a white background, for the best contrast.

shunculture

Rural address numbering

To obtain a new rural address, individuals must contact their local government. The local government will typically supply and install a post displaying the address number, although fees may apply. The national requirements for location addresses are outlined in the Australian/New Zealand Standard for Rural and Urban Addressing (AS/NZS 4819:2011). This standard includes guidelines for assigning addresses and naming roads, with local governments responsible for naming roads (except state-controlled roads) and maintaining a roads register.

A complete location address in Australia requires, at a minimum, an address number, a road name, a locality (suburb) name, and a state or territory name. For example, a valid address would be "1 William Street, Brisbane City, Queensland". The primary address is typically determined by the main access point where a visitor is most likely to arrive, such as the front door or driveway. Alternative addresses can also be recorded for additional access points to the property.

shunculture

Locality and suburbs

In Australia, a complete location address requires, at a minimum, an address number, a road name, a locality (suburb) name, and a state or territory name. For example, 1 William Street, Brisbane City, Queensland.

The term 'locality' is used in rural areas, while 'suburb' is used in urban areas. Suburbs and localities are geographic subdivisions used mainly for address purposes. There are 15,353 suburbs and localities covering the whole of Australia, with some areas of rural South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory undefined in the officially recognised boundaries.

The names and boundaries of localities and suburbs are assigned by the Department of Resources after consultation with local government and other stakeholders. Suburbs are localities of generally urban character and may be referred to as localities. Locality boundaries should be followed when assigning addresses. Generally, the locality in which the property to be addressed is accessed from is the locality that should be assigned to the address.

Bounded localities include towns, villages, populated places, local government towns, and unpopulated town sites, while unbounded localities include place names, road corners and bends, corners, meteorological stations, ocean place names, and surfing spots.

shunculture

Naming roads

In Australia, roads are typically named by local governments, except for state-controlled roads. The process of naming roads is important, as it helps people and emergency services navigate their way around the community. Additionally, road names can promote a sense of community identity and recognise historical, cultural, and natural linkages.

When selecting a road name, certain principles are considered to ensure the name provides a sense of identity and reflects community expectations. Diversity and equity are also considered, recognising people and groups outside colonial or traditional frameworks. Road names cannot be interrupted with sections that have different names, and names that are similar or identical to others in the same area are avoided to prevent confusion. Only English and Indigenous language names are permitted.

In Queensland, the Department of Resources assigns locality and suburb names after consulting with local governments and other stakeholders. Suburbs, or localities of generally urban character, are often referred to as localities. Local governments may also have local names for parts of state-controlled roads passing through towns or urban areas, and these names are typically used in addresses.

The classification and naming of roads in Australia vary between states and territories. In Victoria, major roads are designated as freeways or arterial roads, while in Western Australia, they are classified as highways or main roads. In the ACT, roads are grouped into four categories based on their physical characteristics and role within the road network. Highways in Australia are generally high-capacity roads managed by state and territory government agencies, with funding contributions from the federal government for critical links between major centres.

The formal construction of roads in Australia began in 1788 after the founding of the colony of New South Wales. By the 1820s, a network of three major roads had emerged in the colony, with similar road networks developing in other colonies. The arrival of Governor Macquarie in 1810 marked the beginning of a planned system for roads and bridges, financed by government funds, public subscriptions, and tolls.

MSG in Australia: Banned or Not?

You may want to see also

shunculture

Displaying street numbers

In Australia, the City of Melbourne is responsible for allocating street numbers to properties within the municipality. However, it is the responsibility of the property owner to ensure that the street number is displayed correctly and clearly.

  • Place the street number at the front of the property, where it can be easily seen by passing foot and road traffic.
  • Use a colour that stands out clearly from the background. For example, black numbers on a white background provide good contrast.
  • Ensure the number is displayed in a prominent position. If your house has two street frontages, only display the number on the street that the address refers to.
  • In rural areas, local governments may supply and install a post at the access point to display the address number (fees may apply).
  • For unit numbers, use a slash to separate it from the street number. For example, "Unit 12/78 Kangaroo Street".
  • In Australia, one side of the street will have even numbers, while the other side will have odd numbers. Apartment numbers are also used in some cases.

Frequently asked questions

A standard Australian address format is as follows: [Unit No.]/[Street No.] [Street Name] [City] [State or Territory] [Postal Code]. For example, Unit 12/78 Kangaroo Street, Koalaford, New South Wales, 3456.

The slash separates the unit number from the street number. In the example above, 12 is the unit number, and 78 is the street number.

Local governments are responsible for naming roads and assigning addresses. The City of Melbourne, for instance, creates or changes road names and allocates numbers to properties within the municipality.

Yes, street numbers must be clearly displayed in a prominent position. They should be placed at the front of the property and use a colour that stands out from the background. If a house has two street frontages, the number must only be displayed on the street that the address refers to.

Written by

Explore related products

Reviewed by
Share this post
Print
Did this article help you?

Leave a comment