1800s

1819

Postal services in Singapore started to take shape, administered initially by the military authorities

1845

Singapore welcomed the first mail steamer dispatched to the Far East, the Lady Mary Wood

*Photo: Courtesy of National Archives of Singapore

1850s

1858

Milestone Year: The Post Office became an independent department from the British Marine Office, financed by postal revenue, as mail volume increased. William Cuppage was appointed postmaster.

*Photo: Courtesy of National Archives of Singapore

1873

The first General Post Office (GPO) was built at the former Fort Fullerton

*Photo: Lim Kheng Chye Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore

1897

The first sub-post offices were opened at Tanglin, Kandang Kerbau and Tanjong Pagar

1900s

1916

Stamp booklets were made available for sale at the GPO

1928

The GPO moved into the new Fullerton Building, officially opened by Sir Hugh Clifford, then Governor of Singapore, and named after Sir Robert Fullerton, the first Governor of the Straits Settlements

1928

A Soaring Start: 5 October marked the day that the first airmail was dispatched from Singapore - to Marseille by sea and then to London by air

1937

International calls between London and Singapore were introduced at the post office, costing $51 for a three-minute call

1950s

1950

Singapore’s first postal codes: A two-digit system was introduced, dividing the island into 28 postal districts

1960s

1966

A special series of stamps was issued on 9 August 1966 to commemorate Singapore's first anniversary as an independent nation

*Stamp Images are reproduced with permission from Singapore Philatelic Museum

Photo: Courtesy of National Archives of Singapore

1970s

1971

New rectangular mailboxes were located islandwide with dual slots: ‘Singapore’ and ‘Other Countries’

1973

Vending machines selling stamp booklets were installed to improve sales efficiency

*Stamp Images are reproduced with permission from Singapore Philatelic Museum

Photo Courtesy of National Archives

1974

The first postwomen were hired, a significant move towards a more inclusive workforce for the postal service sector

1978

Speedpost service was launched to provide a fast and reliable way to send documents domestically and internationally

1979

A four-digit postal code system was introduced, with Singapore now divided into 81 sectors

1980s

1982

Better Together: The early 80s marked the merger between the Postal Services Department and Telecommunication Authority of Singapore (TAS)

1990s

1992

Singapore Post Private Limited was incorporated as an entity of TAS

1995

Postal codes were upgraded to a six-digit system that provided a unique code for each delivery point and enabled significantly greater automation of mail sorting

1996

The Neighbourhood Postman Scheme was introduced

1997

A next-generation Self-service Automated Machine (SAM) was introduced to automatically weigh postal items, dispense postage labels and accept bill payments

1998

SingPost moved its sorting operations to a new facility at Paya Lebar, which automates the sorting of mail and parcels based on postal codes

2000s

2000

SingPost Centre was officially opened

2003

SingPost made its debut on the Singapore Exchange (SGX)

2005-2008

Philatelic Firsts: MyStamp, the world’s first stamp personalisation service was launched. On 8 Apr 2008, SingPost introduced the world’s first beaded stamps. Shaped like a handbag and intricately crafted with ‘caviar beads’, this collectable series fittingly celebrated the opening of the Peranakan Museum.

2008

An innovative electronic lock system was added to improve security

2010s

2011

A fleet of 50 three-wheel delivery scooters was rolled out, with a carrying capacity that was 40% greater than that of traditional two-wheelers

2013

POPStation (Pick Own Parcel Station) was launched, providing eCommerce customers with the convenience of collecting parcels 24/7 from an automated kiosk