Australia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation (formerly the Australian Postal Commission).
The first Postmaster

Postmaster

A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...

 of New South Wales was an ex-convict, Isaac Nichols

Isaac Nichols

Isaac Nichols was a convict on the Third Fleetwho became a successful businessman and was appointed the first Postmaster of New South Wales in 1809. The mayhem that could occur when supply ships arrived, which was said to include unscrupulous people taking other people's mail and selling it back...

, who took the post in 1809 operating from his home in George Street, Sydney

George Street, Sydney

George Street is one of Sydney's most notable city streets. There are more high rise buildings and more ASX 100 companies located here than anywhere else in Australia, and is well known for being busy around-the-clock...

. His main job was to take charge of letters and parcels arriving by ship, to avoid the chaos of people rushing onto the ships as soon as they arrived at Sydney's wharves.

The Postal Act of 1825 allowed the governor to fix postage rates and appoint Postmasters outside Sydney, enabling the first organised postal service.

Postal services grew throughout the Australian colonies as they were established.

A regular Sydney-Melbourne overland service began in 1838, as did embossed covers (the world's second, after William Dockwra established the London Penny Post in 1680) prepaid postage , and by 1849 uniform postal rates were established by agreement between the colonies.