The General Post Office of Barbados - Fun Barbados Services

he GENERAL POST OFFICE (GPO) of Barbados is the Headquarters for the island’s Postal Services and is located in the city/capital Bridgetown.

Locally called the “Cheapside Post Office”, this is one of eighteen (18) postal outlets situated throughout Barbados and is under the umbrella of Government Services, with the Postmaster General responsible for managing Barbados’ Postal System and Services.

SERVICES

Consumer Services

Letter Post
Sales of Stamps
Reply Coupons
Registration Mail Service
Parcel Post
Money Orders
Private Post Boxes
Philatelic Bureau

Corporate Services

Postage Paid
Franking Machines

Non-Postal Services

Bill Payment

Express Mail Services (EMS)

Postal Express

This is a co-branded product between the Barbados Postal Service (B.P.S.) and DHL

Find more information on Barbados' Postal Service/System & Post Offices...

OPENING HOURS OF BUSINESS:

MON to FRI: 7:30am – 5:00pm (General Post Office)

MON to FRI: 8am – 3pm (other Post Offices)

History

The migratory periods during the 20th Century were very profitable periods for the Barbados Post with records showing that in the 1950s, British Postal Orders paid to Barbadians exceeded $3 million.

In 1958, Mr. Robert Clarke, the first Colonial Postmaster of African ancestry, had the foresight to introduce a shift system and extended business hours in order to better manage the increased business activity of the Post Office.

In an effort to contribute to the personal and professional development of postal workers, departmental training courses for clerical staff, Postal Assistants and Postmen were introduced in 1961.

The Barbados Philatelic Bureau was established in 1968 for the purpose of promoting the sale of postage stamps in the very lucrative philately market worldwide.

Following exposure to international developments in the postal service resulting from participation in conferences around the world, a highly specialised International Postal Affairs branch was introduced. This division was to be headed by a knowledgeable and experienced senior postal official. In 1971 therefore, a post of Assistant Postmaster General responsible for international postal affairs was established and Mr. Lloyd Weekes was appointed to the position on August 16, 1971.

As a result of involvement in the UPU, Barbados was able to host its first international postal conference, the pre-Congress Conference of Commonwealth Postal Administrations, from September 2nd to 5th, 1979. This meeting served as preparation for the 1979 Universal Postal Congress in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during September and October.

In 1984 the Barbados Government, for the first time, authorised the Postmaster General to sign the Acts of the Hamburg Congress “ad referendum” in addition to the Minister with responsibility for the postal services. Prior to this Congress only the Minister was authorised to sign the Acts of Congress.