Area Code 13 – Macquarie Island

Geographic Overview

Area code 13 within the +672 country code is a geographic allocation serving Macquarie Island, an Australian subantarctic island located in the Southern Ocean. Administratively, Macquarie Island is part of the state of Tasmania, Australia, and is managed by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service. The island is primarily a scientific research station, with no permanent civilian population. The only telecommunications facilities are operated by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) and are used for scientific and administrative communications.

Dialing Formats

To call a number on Macquarie Island from abroad, dial the international access prefix (e.g., 00 or +), followed by the country code 672, then the area code 13, and the local subscriber number. For example, a call to a local number would be formatted as +672 13 XXX XXX (where X represents the subscriber digits). From within Australia, callers must use the international dialing prefix 0011 followed by 672 and the rest of the number, as Norfolk Island and Macquarie Island are not part of the Australian national numbering plan. There is no local dialing format for Macquarie Island because calls from within the island are typically made via PBX extensions.

Numbering and Routing

The +672 country code is shared by several Australian external territories, including Norfolk Island, Macquarie Island, and the Australian Antarctic Territory. Each territory has been assigned distinct area codes: 1 for Norfolk Island, 3 for Macquarie Island, and 1 for the Australian Antarctic Territory (though note that the Antarctic territory uses +672 1 as well, but with different numbering ranges). The area code 13 is specifically designated for Macquarie Island, distinguishing it from Norfolk Island's code 1 (which is used with subscriber numbers beginning with 2 or 3). This allocation follows ITU-T E.164 recommendations, ensuring unique global routing.

Caller Instructions

For international callers, it is essential to use the correct country code and area code. For example, to call the Macquarie Island research station, you would dial +672 13 12345 (hypothetical). For callers within Australia, the process is the same as an international call: dial 0011 672 13 12345. There are no local area codes or trunk prefixes; the entire number is dialed after the country code. Because Macquarie Island has no public switched telephone network (PSTN) subscribers, calls are typically routed via satellite links to the Australian mainland. Overlay considerations do not apply, as the numbering is exclusive to the island's research facilities.