--- title: State and territory boundaries, 2021, Australia resource: https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/ publisher: Australian Bureau of Statistics licence: CC BY 4.0 licence_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ version: 2021-06-25 rows: 10 fields: 6 source: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/australian-statistical-geography-standard-asgs/edition-3-july-2021-june-2026/access-and-downloads/digital-boundary-files/STE_2021_AUST_SHP_GDA2020.zip source_sha256: d9b7f735de6085b37414faf011f796dda3c7f768c55e9dce01f96e790f399a21 language: en-AU operator: National Digital not_endorsed: true --- # State and territory boundaries, 2021, Australia The states and territories of Australia as the ABS's Australian Statistical Geography Standard, Edition 3 (2021), defines them, one shape each, in GDA2020. Published by Australian Bureau of Statistics under CC BY 4.0. National Digital converted the publisher's file to other formats. It renamed and typed the columns and kept only those the schema lists. National Digital made these changes, and the publisher is not responsible for them. Australian Bureau of Statistics has not endorsed this site. Also called: ABS state boundaries, States and territories shapefile, STE 2021 digital boundary file, Australian state borders GeoJSON. ## Download Latest version, redirects to `https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/v/2021-06-25/`: - csv: https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/latest/data.csv (1.1 KB) - xlsx: https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/latest/data.xlsx (8.6 KB) - json: https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/latest/data.json (4.4 KB) - geojson: https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/latest/data.geojson (74 MB) - parquet: https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/latest/data.parquet (26 MB) - sqlite: https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/latest/data.sqlite (29 KB) - duckdb: https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/latest/data.duckdb - gpkg: https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/latest/data.gpkg (30 MB) - pmtiles: https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/latest/data.pmtiles (966 KB) - ndjson: https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/latest/data.ndjson (4.0 KB) - csv.gz: https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/latest/data.csv.gz (371 B) Pinned version 2021-06-25: `https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/v/2021-06-25/data.`. Dated versions keep their content. ## Query The query API returns only the rows you ask for, as JSON, NDJSON or CSV, from the same typed rows as the files. It needs no key. Rows: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/abs-states-territories-2021/rows. Counts and sums: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/abs-states-territories-2021/aggregate. - Rows: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/abs-states-territories-2021/rows?area_sqkm=gt.0&limit=5 - Aggregate: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/abs-states-territories-2021/aggregate?group=state_2021_name&metric=max.area_sqkm&area_sqkm=gt.0 Each filter is `field=operator.value` in the query string, and every filter must match. A number or date field compares as a number or date, and a text field compares as text. Values are case-sensitive, except that `like` and `ilike` ignore case in the ASCII letters A to Z. Prefix `not.` to negate a filter, as `not.eq.value`. Operators: `eq.value`, `neq.value`, `gt.value`, `gte.value`, `lt.value`, `lte.value`, `like.*text*`, `ilike.*text*`, `in.(a,b,c)`, `is.null`. - `select`: Fields to return, comma-separated. Every field when absent. - `order`: `field.asc` or `field.desc`, comma-separated. When absent, rows come in the order of the file they are read from. For the newest versions that is the version's own data.parquet, which keeps the publisher's order unless the dataset sorted it. Any other version is read from the Parquet file the answer names in `file`, and when that file is sorted the answer names its sort in `order`, which ties follow too. - `limit`: Rows per page, 1 to 10,000. 100 when absent. - `offset`: Rows to skip. The `next` URL in each answer sets it for you. - `group`: On `aggregate`, fields to group by, comma-separated. - `metric`: On `aggregate`, `count`, `sum.field`, `avg.field`, `min.field` or `max.field`, comma-separated. `count` when absent. - `format`: `json`, `ndjson` or `csv`. JSON carries the provenance header, and the others carry it in response headers. Without a version the API answers from the newest version, and that answer changes when the publisher releases again. Put `versions//` before `rows` or `aggregate` for an answer from that version alone. Every version with a table can be queried, and `/api/v1/datasets//versions` lists them. A query on a version the database does not hold is read from its Parquet file, and one that would read too much of it is refused with DuckDB SQL that answers it from the file. The API allows 60 requests in 10 seconds from one address. Above that it answers 429 for 10 seconds with a `Retry-After` header, a `RateLimit-Policy` header and a JSON body that gives the limit. Every API answer carries the same `RateLimit-Policy`. A client should wait the `Retry-After` seconds, or read the files, which have no limit. OpenAPI for this dataset: https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/openapi.json ## Explore Charts and dashboards in the browser: https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/explore/. A dashboard can be shared as a link or embedded. ## Fields | field | type | publisher's header | note | |---|---|---|---| | `state_2021_code` | string | STE_CODE21 | | | `state_2021_name` | string | STE_NAME21 | | | `change_flag` | string | CHG_FLAG21 | | | `change_label` | string | CHG_LBL21 | | | `area_sqkm` | number | AREASQKM21 | | | `loci_uri` | string | LOCI_URI21 | | Key: `state_2021_code`. ## Versions - 2021-06-25: 10 rows, 6 fields, sha256 d9b7f735de60. https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/v/2021-06-25/ Machine-readable: https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/versions.json, https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/changes.json, https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/datapackage.json, https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/schema.json, https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/history.tar.zst ## Part of ABS boundaries - [Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2) boundaries, 2021, Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/abs-sa2-2021/) - [Local Government Area (council) boundaries, 2025, Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/abs-lga-2025/) - [Suburb and locality boundaries, 2021, Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/abs-suburbs-localities-2021/) - [Postcode (postal area) boundaries, 2021, Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/abs-postal-areas-2021/) - [State electorate boundaries, 2025, Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/abs-state-electoral-divisions-2025/) - [Federal electorate boundaries, 2025, Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/abs-federal-electoral-divisions-2025/) ## Same subject, other publishers - [Suburb and locality boundaries, Other Territories (Geoscape)](https://publicdata.au/d/au-localities-ot/) (Cth) - [Suburb and locality boundaries, New South Wales (Geoscape)](https://publicdata.au/d/au-localities-nsw/) (Cth) - [Suburb and locality boundaries, Victoria (Geoscape)](https://publicdata.au/d/au-localities-vic/) (Cth) - [Suburb and locality boundaries, South Australia (Geoscape)](https://publicdata.au/d/au-localities-sa/) (Cth) - [Suburb and locality boundaries, Western Australia (Geoscape)](https://publicdata.au/d/au-localities-wa/) (Cth) - [Suburb and locality boundaries, Tasmania (Geoscape)](https://publicdata.au/d/au-localities-tas/) (Cth) - [Commonwealth Heritage List places, boundaries, Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/au-commonwealth-heritage-list-places/) (Cth) - [Suburb and locality boundaries, Northern Territory (Geoscape)](https://publicdata.au/d/au-localities-nt/) (Cth) - [National Heritage List places, boundaries, Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/au-national-heritage-list-places/) (Cth) - [Suburb and locality boundaries, Australian Capital Territory (Geoscape)](https://publicdata.au/d/au-localities-act/) (Cth) - [Suburb and locality boundaries, South Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/sa-suburb-boundaries/) (SA) - [Locality boundaries, Queensland](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-locality-boundaries/) (Qld) ## Attribution and citation Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3, STE_2021_AUST_SHP_GDA2020.zip, sourced 19 October 2026, https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/australian-statistical-geography-standard-asgs/edition-3-july-2021-june-2026/access-and-downloads/digital-boundary-files, licensed under CC BY 4.0. The licence requires the publisher's attribution. We ask that you also name publicdata.au and link to the version you used. Plain text: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3, STE_2021_AUST_SHP_GDA2020.zip, sourced 19 October 2026, https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/australian-statistical-geography-standard-asgs/edition-3-july-2021-june-2026/access-and-downloads/digital-boundary-files, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Serialised and versioned by National Digital at publicdata.au, https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/v/2021-06-25/ Harvard: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021) State and territory boundaries, 2021, Australia, version 2021-06-25 [data set], CC BY 4.0, sourced 19 October 2026. Serialised and versioned by National Digital at publicdata.au. Available at: https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/v/2021-06-25/ Markdown: Data: [ABS boundaries](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/australian-statistical-geography-standard-asgs/edition-3-july-2021-june-2026/access-and-downloads/digital-boundary-files), Australian Bureau of Statistics, [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), sourced 19 October 2026. Files: [publicdata.au](https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/v/2021-06-25/) by [National Digital](https://nationaldigital.com.au/). ## Questions ### How do I download State and territory boundaries, 2021 as a CSV file? Open https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/latest/data.csv. It redirects to the newest dated version, which is https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/v/2021-06-25/data.csv today. The same path serves Excel, JSON, GeoJSON, Parquet, SQLite, DuckDB, GeoPackage, PMTiles, NDJSON. A dated URL never changes, so use it when the file must stay the same. ### Can I open State and territory boundaries, 2021 in Excel? Yes. https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/v/2021-06-25/data.xlsx is a workbook with the 10 rows on a records sheet, the field list on a second sheet and the provenance on a third. The CSV also opens in Excel. https://publicdata.au/d/abs-states-territories-2021/v/2021-06-25/data.csv.gz is the CSV at about a tenth of the size. ### How often is State and territory boundaries, 2021 updated? ABS releases it when the ABS releases a new edition. This site checks the portal every week and adds a dated version when the file changes. ### Can I use State and territory boundaries, 2021 commercially? Yes. CC BY 4.0 allows commercial use, redistribution and derived works as long as the attribution is kept. The attribution string is in this page's side column and inside every file. ### Is this the official source for State and territory boundaries, 2021? No. The publisher is Australian Bureau of Statistics, and its page is https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/australian-statistical-geography-standard-asgs/edition-3-july-2021-june-2026/access-and-downloads/digital-boundary-files. National Digital converted the publisher's file to other formats. It renamed and typed the columns and kept only those the schema lists. National Digital made these changes, and the publisher is not responsible for them. The original sits beside every version as source.zip with its SHA-256, so the two can be compared. ### What coordinate system does State and territory boundaries, 2021 use? Shapes in GDA2020 (EPSG:7844), as the ABS publishes them. The GeoJSON file uses GDA2020 as well, which differs from the WGS84 GeoJSON expects by well under a metre. ### What is in each row? One of the states and territories as the ABS's Australian Statistical Geography Standard, Edition 3 (2021), defines them, with its code, name, area and the other columns the ABS publishes, and its shape in the GeoParquet, GeoJSON, GeoPackage and PMTiles files. The CSV, Excel and other table files hold the columns without the shape. ### What coordinate system are the shapes in? GDA2020 (EPSG:7844), the file the ABS publishes in that datum. GDA2020 differs from WGS84 by well under a metre, so web maps can use it as it is. ### What is Other Territories? The ABS groups Jervis Bay Territory, Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Norfolk Island as Other Territories. Any row the ABS adds without a shape is kept, with a null geometry, so every ABS code is in the table. ## What this site did to the data Cells were typed, headers were renamed to snake_case and the encoding was made UTF-8. Rows were left alone. Nothing is derived. The publisher's file is beside every version as `source.zip`. ## Improve this dataset This page is built from [register/abs-states-territories-2021.yaml](https://github.com/National-Digital/publicdata.au/blob/main/register/abs-states-territories-2021.yaml) on GitHub, and a fix to it is welcome as a pull request. https://publicdata.au/contribute/ explains how.