Merchants traded in Hong Kong at the two sides of Victoria Harbour as early as before the Britishpossession in 1842. They complained about the absence of proper postal services and therefore the Postal Department was established.
On December 8, 1862, the Office issued the first set of Hong Kong postal stamps. Before that, only British soldiers in Hong Kong could use British stamps while other local residents did not have any. Until the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, BFPO 1 was the address for British forces serving in the then colony. When sending mail from the UK to a member of HM Forces serving overseas, the sender must address it to the appropriate BFPO number, and not to the country in which that person is based. BFPO1 addressed mail was charged at the inland UK rate.
In 1989, the Office introduced automated mail sorting and machines installed in the General Post Office.[1] Unlike mainland China, there is no post code system in Hong Kong, although one has been under consideration since 2000.[2]
Since August 1995, the Office operates as a Trading Fund. Full title of the head of the Office becomes Postmaster General and General Manager of the Post Office Trading Fund (traditional Chinese: 香港郵政署長兼郵政署營運基金總經理).
Before 1997, the post boxes were painted red as in the United Kingdom, and was engraved with a British royal coat of arms. After the transfer of sovereignty in 1997, the livery of the drop-off boxes has become green, with the new Hongkong Post logo.
British Hong Kong postage stamps are no longer valid for prepayment of postage or repurchased by the Post Office.
Post Offices
Post offices of the Hongkong Post are scattered throughout Hong Kong. Until 2007, there are 34 of them on Hong Kong Island, 42 at Kowloon, 45 in the New Territories and 8 on the Outlying Islands. There are two mobile post offices providing postal services in remote areas in the New Territories.
Mobile Post Office No.1 serves New Territories areas without post offices nearby. Areas served include Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, Sheung Shui, Fanling, Tai Po, Shatin and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Closed from 2007-11-01 due to low utilisation and heavy operational losses
Harbour Building
(海港政府大樓郵政局)
1985
Harbour Building, Pier Road, Central
Closed from 2007-11-01 due to low utilisation and heavy operational losses
North Point
(北角郵政局)
2002
--
FitFort, King's Road, North Point
Closed from May 18, 2008 due to operational losses
Texaco Road
(德士古道郵政局)
1993
--
Wealthy Garden, Texaco Road, Tsuen Wan
Closed from April 20, 2008 as it is undesirable to continue operation in the severely deteriorated premises; replaced by Yeung Uk Road Post Office, which is a 10-minute walk apart.
In addition to making its income from traditional postal delivery, it also sells philatelic products, and other sales, and is used by the Government and utilities to accept payment.
Philately
Hongkong Post Stamps was a division set up in 1974 charged with promoting and popularising stamp collecting, and to meet the ever increasing demand for Hong Kong stamps by collectors. Today, there are three main areas of work:
stamp product design and production,
fulfillment and advance ordering service and
philatelic marketing.
Owing to its conservative stamp-issuing policy, stamp collecting in Hong Kong is popular hobby. Different types of attractively designed stamp products are popular with stamp collectors around the world.
A postage label vending machine located at Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office. Postage labels are instantly-printed stamps with customizable or pre-set postage fees.
Incidents
In 2005, newspapers revealed that there were pinhole cameras installed in Cheung Sha Wan Post Office thus violating people's privacy. Hongkong Post explained that such installation was necessary for facilitating police investigation about several suspected theft cases.
In March 2007, two postmen lost three bags of mails heading to Wan Chai and the Eastern District in the management offices of certain buildings. Though Hongkong Post eventually found one of the lost bags, it is estimated that about 400 letters were lost. The offices where the mails disappeared are not in the list of official keeping places of mailbags. Therefore, Hongkong Post put the two postmen into disciplinary actions for their ignorance. However, some in the postmen's union said there was little chance for ignorance and it might be a robbery.
Achievements
Hongkong Post won the "Hong Kong Awards for Industries - Productivity and Quality Award" in 2005 for its achievement in productivity enhancement and total quality management[4]
It was awarded the Caring Organisation Logo 2005/06 by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service
It won the Gold Level Certification in the Universal Postal Union EMS Cooperative Audit and Measurement Programme 2005
It won the Web Care Award 2005 - Gold Prize from Internet Professional Association