Royal Gibraltar Post Office

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Royal Gibraltar Post Office
Industry Postal Service
Founded 1886
Headquarters Main Street, Gibraltar
Area served
Gibraltar
Key people
David Ledger CEO

John Robba Director

Frank Bado Director
Owner Government of Gibraltar
Website www.post.gi

The Royal Gibraltar Post Office is the postal services in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It is currently a department within the Government of Gibraltar.

History

File:Post Office, Gibraltar 1879.jpg
1879 view of the main Post Office in Main Street
An early 20th century George V pillar box in Gibraltar.

The Gibraltar Post Office has been running for over 150 years, as in 1857 the Overland Post Office (based in the colonial authorities' premises at Secretary's Lane) merged with the Packet Agency (which had office's in Turnbull's Lane). The first stamps went on sale in September and a year later a new building was completed and opened at 104 Main Street. This remains the main post office in Gibraltar today.[1]

In 1886 the local colonial authorities took over control of the Gibraltar Post Office and was able to issue their own stamps.[2] Initially they overprinted Bermuda stamps but by December they had their own design. However they still sold Spanish stamps if required and between 1889 and 1898 the post office sold Gibraltar stamps valued in pesetas as this was the currency in circulation.[3]

For the first fifty years the Gibraltar Post Office had responsibility for the post office not only in Gibraltar but also for the British postal service in Morocco. This ended in 1907.[1]

In 2005 the Gibraltar Post Office was granted the title of "Royal" by Her Majesty the Queen. Gibraltar is the only Commonwealth or British Overseas Territory post office outside the United Kingdom that bears this title.[2]

The post office keeps on providing some traditional services and was still using benefit books after they were abandoned in the United Kingdom. Gibraltar has traditional red pillar boxes and the tops are also frequently painted black. There is also a special philatelic counter to sell the commemorative stamps.[4]

Services

The Royal Gibraltar Post Office provides the following services:[2]

Banking facilities are provided through the Gibraltar Savings Bank, which is part of the Gibraltar Government services.[4]

Office locations

File:Glacis Post Office.jpg
The North District Office

The Royal Gibraltar Post Office has a number of offices around Gibraltar:[2]

  • Main Office - A Victorian building which sits in Main Street.[4]
  • North District Office - Glacis Road
  • South District Office - Scud Hill
  • P.O. Boxes Unit - Irish Town
  • Mail Operations Centre & Parcel Post - 45 North Mole Road

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Gibraltar Postal and Philatelic
  3. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Post Office where service comes first, Toby Walne, This is Money, 2007, accessed 2013