History

Sri Lanka Posts has been in existence for more than 227 years and employs more than 17,000 employees in various positions. We are one of the oldest Government departments in existence today. We are proud of our history and heritage.

Sri Lanka Posts has a long history of 209 years, dating back to 1798 when the Colonial Dutch rulers started five post offices in the Maritime Districts that were under their control and in 1799 they published of first ever postal regulations and postage rates. The “East-India Company” operated the Postal service the Dutch started and was not meant for the public but for official use. There is not much material to say anything more of the period 1798 to 1815.

In 1815, the British took control of the country. They re-organized the postal service and a permanent Post Office was established in Colombo in 1882. The first Post Master General of Ceylon was Mr. A. Kennedy an Air Army Officer. However as far back as 1815 there has been Post Master Generals’; Mr. E. Bletterman was the PMG for the whole island. Thereafter in 1817 Mr. Lewis Sansoni succeeded Mr. Bletterman as the second Postmaster General. The third Postmaster General was Major. G. Stewart and during his period he was instrumental in extending the postal services to major towns in the country. Ceylon Post and Telecommunications Department as it was known then has many a first to its credit.

We were the first to inaugurate a mail coach service in Asia; between Colombo and Kandy the service began operations in 1832 and in 1838 another mail coach service was started between Galle and Colombo.

The year 1892 saw the first “Travelling Post Office” doing its run between Colombo and Peradeniya a subarban of Kandy. Over the years different modes of transport has been used for the transportation and delivery of mail.

“Bedford” vans made in England were used even during the 70′s. Today we boast of a modern fleet of Japanese vehicles. Delivery of post in a bygone era was first by foot (in the hills and remote places it is not uncommon to see postman delivering letters by foot even today!), then bicycles were added. During the 50′s and 60′s postmen on British made BSA – Bantam motor cycles were a familiar sight. With the postman’s beat becoming smaller in cities the motor cycles gave way to the bicycles. Transportation of mails is done by railway, public and private omni-buses and our own fleet of vehicles.

Ceylon joined the Universal Postal Union on 1st April 1877 and again on 13th July, 1949 after independence joined the Universal Postal Union and created a world first.

On the 1st April, 1857 the first stamp was issued in penny denominations, five years after Britain introduced the postage stamp to the world. The first stamps to be issued in local denomination of rupees and cents was on 1st February, 1892.

The General Post Office which was housed in different places in Colombo. In 1895 acquired its own building opposite the Governor General’s residence – the King’s House, on King’s Street (currently the Janadhipath Mawatha). With the disturbances in the country the GPO was moved out of the building and finally has got its permanent place at the present new Postal Headquarters. The new building is the center of operations and administration consisting of 9 floors of modern facilities. The Postal Museum too is housed in this building .

Ceylon First Post Card
Year 1798, Main Post office-Colombo
Year 1832, Commencement of Postal Exchange between Colombo and Kandy by horse -drawn carriages.
Year 1857, Issuing of the first postage stamp worth six pence .
Milestone
  • 1815 – Establishment of the First Six Post Offices in the Coastal Cities of Colombo, Galle, Matara, Mannar, Jaffna, and Trincomalee during the Tenure of E. Bletterman as Postmaster.
  • 1832 – Commencement of Asia’s First Horse-Drawn Mail Coach Service between Colombo and Kandy.
  • 1838 – Introduction of the Horse-Drawn Mail Coach Service between Galle and Colombo.
  • 1850 – Exchange of Messages between Colombo and Galle by Pigeon Post on 24th September.
  • 1857 – Issuance of the First Postage Stamp on 1st April, Valued at Six Pence, Bearing the Portrait of Queen Victoria.
  • 1865 – Commencement of Mail Transportation by Railway with the Opening of the Colombo–Ambepussa Railway Line.
  • 1867 – Introduction of Private Post Boxes and the Pillar Box System in the Cities of Colombo and Kandy.
  • 1872 – Issuance of the First Postal Card on August 22.
  • 1873 – Commencement of the Money Order Service between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.
  • 1877 – Introduction of the Domestic Money Order System.
  • 1877 – Sri Lanka Joins the Universal Postal Union on April 1.
  • 1880 – Commencement of the Money Order Service between Sri Lanka and India.
  • 1885 – Establishment of the Post Office Savings Bank on May 1.
  • 1892 – Launch of the Travelling Post Office between Colombo and Peradeniya.
  • 1893 – Issuance of the First Stamp Denominated in Cents (2 Cents) on February 1.
  • 1895 – Opening of the Colombo General Post Office Building on August 19.
  • 1908 – Formulation of Domestic Postal Regulations.
  • 1909 – Introduction of the Telegraphic Money Order Service between Sri Lanka and India on February 2.
  • 1914 – Commencement of the Indo-Ceylon Travelling Post Office Train Service from Colombo to Anuradhapura on March 1, Extended to Talaimannar on November 20, 1926.
  • 1921 – Opening of the First Sub Post Offices at Akmeemana, Anamaduwa, Wilpattu, Divulapitiya, Kiriella, and Muttur during the Tenure of Postmaster F. J. Smith.
  • 1924 – Commencement of the Jaffna Travelling Post Office on May 15.
  • 1926 – Commencement of the Galle Travelling Post Office on November 17.
  • 1928 – Establishment of Regional Post Offices in Colombo, Kandy, and Kurunegala.
  • 1928 – Dispatch of the First Air Mail from Ceylon to Marseille via the United Kingdom.
  • 1929 – Dispatch of Air Mail to Karachi on June 23.
  • 1931 – Introduction of the Late Fee System for Postal Deliveries.
  • 1932 – Introduction of the Business Reply Envelope and Card System.
  • 1936 – Introduction of the “Home Savings” Scheme.
  • 1936 – Introduction of the Postal Identity Card System.
  • 1936 – Introduction of the Savings Certificate Scheme.
  • 1936 – Conveyance of Christmas Mail from the United Kingdom to Colombo by Tata Air Service.
  • 1938 – Conveyance of Air Mail by Tata Air Service on February 28.
  • 1947 – Appointment of the First Sri Lankan Postmaster General, Mr. A. I. Perera.
  • 1948 – Commencement of the Departmental Postal Transport Van Service Using 15 Vans on April 1.
  • 1949 – Commencement of the Domestic Air Mail Service between Colombo and Jaffna on February 7.
  • 1949 – Sri Lanka Joins the Universal Postal Union as an Independent Member on July 13.
  • 1958 – Transfer of Contract Postal Bus Services to the Ceylon Transport Board (CTB).
  • 1958 – Issuance of the First Series of Stamps Printed in Sinhala Script on May 14.
  • 1964 – Commencement of the Travelling Post Office Service between Colombo and Batticaloa on January 20.
  • 1967 – Establishment of the Sri Lanka Philatelic Bureau on January 1.
  • 1967 – Inauguration of the First Stamp Exhibition on September 16.
  • 1972 – Transfer of Stamp Issuance Functions to the Philatelic Bureau.
  • 1972 – Establishment of the National Savings Bank on April 1.
  • 1979 – Establishment of the First Regional Mail Sorting Centre in Ratnapura on June 28.
  • 1979 – Sri Lanka Joins the Asian-Pacific Postal Union on November 23.
  • 1980 – Separation of Postal and Telecommunications Services into Two Departments on August 15.
  • 1981 – Opening of the First Agency Post Office “Radio Electronics” at Borella on July 27.
  • 1989 – Commencement of the International Express Mail Service (EMS) in Sri Lanka on October 1, Connecting with 42 Countries.
  • 1990 – Launch of the Speed Post Service on July 2, Operating on a “Same-Day Delivery” Basis.
  • 1992 – Decentralization of Administration under Regional Deputy Postmaster Generals; Commencement of National Identity Card Issuance through District Offices on May 1.
  • 1994 – Establishment of the First Overseas Parcel Acceptance Office at Galle Postal Complex on October 10.