Australia Post Christmas 2026: Last Sending Dates and How to Order Gifts Early

Every year the same thing happens in the second half of December: someone remembers a gift for an interstate sister, checks the calendar and discovers that the parcel deadlines were a week ago. If you'd like to be the person who sends things early and then sits back with a cuppa, this guide is for you.

Below you'll find Australia Post's published Christmas 2026 last sending dates for parcels leaving Victoria, a simple countdown for planning, and some practical tips for ordering gifts from small makers like us. We're based in Melbourne and hand-pour every candle here, so we know how quickly the pre-Christmas weeks fill up.

Why "last sending date" and "last order date" are different things

Australia Post's cut-off dates are the last days a person can lodge a parcel or letter with Australia Post so it can reach its destination in time for Christmas. They are not the last day to order from an online shop. A small business needs time to pour, pack and hand over your order before it ever reaches the post box, so the shop's own cut-off will always be earlier.

Our own last order date for Christmas delivery is: [PETRICHOR LAST ORDER DATE: CONFIRM]. We'll keep our website and emails up to date, and we'd rather you order a little early than count on the final day.

Australia Post Christmas 2026 last sending dates (from Victoria)

These are the Parcel Post dates for items sent from Victoria, taken from Australia Post's Christmas sending dates page. Australia Post notes the dates are correct at time of publishing and subject to change, so always check the page before you post.

Express Post (metro) from Victoria to NSW, ACT, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania or within Victoria is listed as Wednesday 23 December 2026. Australia Post also lists 21 December for same-state cards and letters and 18 December for interstate cards and letters.

A few extra notes from the same page: over-the-counter Parcel Post and Express Post items need to be lodged by 2.30pm; parcels going outside a metro area need extra time; and Australia Post recommends sending Christmas parcels as early as possible.

Sending overseas?

If you're gifting to family abroad, the earlier dates matter even more. Australia Post lists, as examples, these 2026 cut-offs for Standard service: USA 7 December, New Zealand 9 December and UK 11 December. Courier and Express cut-offs are later but cost more, and Australia Post warns that customs delays and postal disruptions can affect overseas delivery.

A simple Christmas gift countdown

Rather than a frantic December, try spreading the work out. This is a suggested plan, not an Australia Post schedule:

Late October to early November: plan

Write your list. Sort it by who is local and who is interstate or overseas, and set a rough budget for each person. Our gifts under $30 and gifts under $50 collections are handy starting points if you're buying for a crowd.

November: order the far-away gifts

Gifts that have to travel interstate or overseas should be ordered and sent first. If you're posting them yourself, aim to be well ahead of the dates in the table above, particularly for Western Australia and the Northern Territory, which have the earliest deadlines.

Early December: order local gifts and extras

Gifts for people in Melbourne or regional Victoria give you a little more breathing room, but you still need to stay ahead of our last order date, which is [PETRICHOR LAST ORDER DATE: CONFIRM].

Mid-December onwards: wrap, write cards, relax

Gifts that arrive early can be wrapped slowly with a playlist on, which is far nicer than wrapping at midnight on the 23rd.

Gifts that are easy to post

If you're sending to someone interstate, compact gifts are simpler to pack and often easier to budget for. A few ideas from the Petrichor range:

• Build Your Own Candle Tin Trio – 3 for $39.99. Three 70g travel tins (each with a 15+ hour burn) that you choose yourself. A good way to let someone sample three scents.
• Travel candle tins – $14.99 each. Small, matte black tins that suit stockings, cards and add-on gifts.
• Room sprays – $24.99 each. 100ml, hand-blended in Melbourne, with 3–4 sprays doing the job. Handy for people who can't or don't want to burn a candle.
• Signature Room Spray Bundle – $89.96 (saves $10). Four room sprays in one gift: Rainstorm, Australian Bush, Dry Tobacco & Hay and Fresh Sage & Driftwood.
• Build Your Own Trio – $115 (saves $5). Three 180g jars with a 40+ hour burn each, for a bigger gift.

Not sure what to choose? Our candle gift ideas guide and our scent matching guide can help narrow it down.

Tips for ordering Christmas gifts from a small maker

• Order earlier than you think you need to. Small teams hand-make and pack orders, and the pre-Christmas weeks are our busiest.
• Check the delivery address twice. Parcels to workplaces and apartment buildings can be tricky if nobody is there to receive them.
• Consider regional and remote postcodes. Australia Post advises extra time for parcels outside metro areas, so build in a buffer.
• Keep your confirmation emails. If anything goes astray, having your order details to hand makes it easier to sort out.
• Have a backup. A Petrichor gift card can be a thoughtful stand-in if a deadline sneaks up on you.

A quick candle safety note for gifting

Candles are lovely gifts, but they do need care. Fire Rescue Victoria and the CFA advise that candles should only be lit in rooms with smoke alarms, placed on stable, uncluttered surfaces, kept at least one metre from curtains and other things that can burn, kept out of reach of children and pets, and supervised and extinguished before you leave home or go to sleep (Fire Rescue Victoria). It's a good idea to pop a short reminder in the gift card.

Ready to get ahead of the rush?

Start with the gifts that have the furthest to travel, then fill in the rest. Browse our bundles for ready-made gift sets, or explore the original range of hand-poured soy candles. Order early, post early and enjoy a calmer December.