Sands Postal Directory

John Sands Ltd published the Sydney, Suburban and Country Commercial Directory each year from 1858 to 1932–33 (except for 1872, 1874, 1878 and 1881).

The directories contain information that can help track when streets were named, when suburbs were divided, where people lived and what occupations they held. Each directory contains an index, an alphabetical street listing (first for the City of Sydney, then for suburban Sydney), an alphabetical resident occupier listing and a directory of trades, companies, organisations, institutions and government departments.

How to Search the Directories

1. Search across all volumes

• Use the custom search on the right of this page. For best results, use single keywords only.
• Select a search result, then use the arrows at the top of the page to move between results.

2. Search within a particular volume

• Select the volume from the list below.
• Select the magnifying glass icon at the top of the page.
• Type your keyword - it will locate the first match.
• Use the arrows at the top of the page to move between results.

3. Browse by volume or part of a volume

• Select the volume from the list below. The full volume will appear and can be searched or downloaded.
• To move between a volume and its parts, select the relevant link to the left of the screen. Each has a full volume index at the start.
• If you are having trouble downloading the full volume, you can download the parts you are interested in instead.

If you have difficulty with the online display of the directory, download the section you are looking at. 

For more information about the directory see the Guide to Sands Sydney, Suburban and Country Commercial Directory.