In the late 1980s to early 1990s, Australia Post underwent two radical changes in the way it processed mail. The first was the introduction of Letter Indexing technology and then the first phase of OCR technology.

In this period, I prepared three editions of a book called Postal Mechanisation in Australia - A Brief History. These are out of print.

They covered the period from the mid 1960s when the then Australian Post Office introduced computer technology at a purpose built mail exchange in Redfern (Sydney). The intent was to carry on to Melbourne a few years later but it was not to be. The introduction of new technology was poorly handled and within a decade, the central mail exchange at Redfern was decommissioned and a network of manual mail exchanges introduced, first in NSW then Victoria. In the mid 1970s Australia Post tested various indexing desks at its Melbourne laboratory. Very little record of these tests remains - mainly a handful of covers I salvaged from rubbish bins during my period as Manager Engineering (Victoria). A photo record of the Melbourne Mail Exchange from the late 1960s was also recovered which clearly demonstrates the current practices at centres other than Redfern.

My intent in recent years it was my intent to update the book. It may still happen. However, what I have done is to photocopy the three editions which you will find on this CD ROM. Some of the reproduction is poor and you can find some of the original items elsewhere on the CD ROM in the Postal Mechanisation display folder for example that has the remaining sheets from a display I prepared for Stampshow 2001.

 You will also find the photographs referred to above as well as several articles from the Telecommunications Journal of Australia October 1966 which has a wealth of technical information on the Redfern Mail Exchange. I have also included extracts from a newsletter I helped edit in the 1990s where I felt that the article may be of relevance.

Any comments or suggestions will be welcomed as I imagine this CD-ROM will go through some refinements in the coming months.

Ken Sparks