Postal History, Published 23 September 2026, Updated 1 November 2026
The Fascinating History of the Postcard
Join us as we journey through the fascinating history of the humble postcard - from its early beginnings, to its arrival in Australia and the first postcards used here in Queensland.
What began as a simple and inexpensive way to send a short message soon became something much more.
Postcards connected people across distances, carried greetings and news, shared holiday memories and, over time, became treasured snapshots of everyday life.
From grand city streets and Queensland landmarks to family gatherings, seaside holidays and ordinary moments, postcards captured a world that might otherwise have been lost to time.
In this journey, we’ll explore how postcards evolved, how they were used in Queensland, and why these little pieces of card have become such fascinating historical records - giving us a unique glimpse into the people, places and everyday life of Queensland’s past.
And perhaps the biggest question of all…
When was the last time you sent a postcard?
We’d love to hear from you! Did you ever send or receive postcards, or perhaps have a collection tucked away somewhere? Share your memories, stories or even photographs in the comments below.
A note on our visuals:
To help bring this story to life, we’ve used a combination of historical images, including public-domain material, alongside computer-generated artistic illustrations. While we’ve taken care to represent the history as accurately as possible, some illustrations may contain minor inaccuracies or elements of artistic interpretation. These visuals are used solely for educational, non-commercial history storytelling.
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