From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Self-Automated Machine and Postboxes outside the Westmall Post Office.

SingPost, the designated Public Postal Licensee for Singapore, provides efficient and high quality domestic and international postal services. One of the most efficient postal operators in the world, SingPost has received global recognition in the World Mail Awards for the Quality category in May 2007. SingPost is also the leading logistics provider in the domestic market, with global service offerings to more than 220 territories/countries. It has won the EMS Cooperative Certification Gold Level Award by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) for its Speedpost Worldwide courier service and is the only postal administration in the world to win this for six consecutive years since 2001. SingPost also owns one of the largest retail distribution networks through its tri-channel platform of post offices, Self-service Automated Machines (SAMs) and vPOST, its internet portal. With its extensive network, SingPost provides a one-stop convenience to its customers for a wide range of products and services, including agency, postal and financial services.

Postal Services were available in Singapore since the island was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. Initially, mail services were handled by the military authorities and then by the Master Attendant in 1823. The volume of mail was very small in those days and letters were collected and delivered from a single mail office. The Post Office, as it was then known, shared a room with the Master Attendant’s Marine Office and the clerk to the Registrar of Import and Export. The whole establishment of the post office in the 1830s consisted of one European clerk, one local writer and a peon.

To cope with the increasing volume of mail, the Post Office, then known as the Singapore Post Office, later General Post Office, was moved in 1854 to its own building near the Town Hall by the side of the Singapore River. Although it was more spacious, there were frequent complaints regarding its location. The Commercial Square (business sector) was on the opposite side of the river, so going to the Post office was inconvenient as one had to cross the river by boat. Of course duckings were not unknown! Finally, after 1856, a footbridge was constructed across the river and a toll of ¼ cent was levied.

As trade flourished in Singapore and both postal and marine traffic grew heavier, the Post Office was separated from the Marine Office and it became a separate department in October 1858. During the period 1819 and 1858, letters for posting had to be handed in at the Post Office. No postage stamps were used but a register was kept of all letters received at the Post Office and of the names of sailing ships on which they were conveyed.

Stamped receipts were also given for all letters sent to the Post Office for despatch. For the convenience of the residents, a register was kept of their individual postage accounts on the understanding that all postage due would be regularly settled every month. The first postage stamps were introduced for payment of postage only in 1854. In the early days, the flagstaff at Government Hill (now Fort Canning) was eagerly watched as flying of a flag at daylight, or the firing of a gun at night, signified the arrival of a ship with mail. This infused new life into the quiet community.

On receipt of letters from incoming ships, the Post Office sorters would proceed to register alphabetically all the letters before sending them out through the postmen for delivery. Postal delivery services by means of bullock cart, horse carriage or on foot, were first restricted to the town area. Posting boxes were later installed in the town area for the posting of mail which were then collected by horse-drawn mail coaches.

In 1873, a new General Post office was built on the site of the former Fort Fullerton, a location which was much nearer to the commercial centre of the town. However, the British Government failed to foresee the needs of the future, with the result that the building had to be replaced by another on practically the same site. The new General Post Office was completed in 1885, three years after approval was obtained.

The General Post Office was closed on 23 April, 1921. All the equipment were moved to a building on the recently reclaimed land at Collyer Quay, and staff worked at this temporary post office during the construction of Fullerton Building. The post office was transferred back to Fullerton Building on 23 July 1928 and has remained there since.

The latter part of the 19th century marked the modern phase of the development in the history of the Singapore postal service. Services were extended to include a parcel post service, money order and postal order services and a post office savings bank. 1897 saw the establishment of the first sub-post offices, and by 1938, some 20 sub-post offices were already providing decentralised postal facilities on the island. The horse-drawn mail coaches were withdrawn and replaced by motor vans in 1914 as the mail traffic handled steadily increased.

Singapore’s postal services have come a long way. Today, Singapore provides postal facilities through an islandwide network of more than 60 post offices, about 80 postal agencies and more than 600 licensed stamp vendors. More than 700 posting boxes are installed at strategic and convenient locations throughout the island. Mail deliveries are carried out by postmen and postwomen. Since its merger with Telecoms in 1982, the range of services available at post offices has widened to include telecommunication services such as telefax, telex and international telephone services.

Singapore was originally divided into postal districts in the 1950s, with a number being allocated to each district, for example, the Orchard Road area was in District 9.

277 Orchard Road 
Singapore 9

This was superseded by a new four-digit system in 1979, with the last two digits representing a sector in each district.

277 Orchard Road 
Singapore 0923

In 1995, this was replaced by a six-digit system, in which every building was given its unique postcode, the first two digits of which represented the old sector.

277 Orchard Road 
Singapore 238858

Although the old districts are no longer used by Singapore Post, they are still widely used to refer to locations of properties for sale or rent.[1]

Singapore 2007 stamps

• Singapore Post Limited