Royal Mail post box lifts spirits for staff in Antarctica

Station support assistant Kirsten Shaw, who runs the British Antarctica Territory (BAS) Post Office for staff at the research station, wrote to the King to request an upgrade to the hand-made post box formerly used.

Shaw, who also handles the process of getting post out to staff at other BAS stations and science field camps, explained the power of letter sending for those in the remote corner of Antarctica.

“Getting post is really special for the team at Rothera,” said Shaw.

“If you’re doing fieldwork for many months, the feeling of receiving a letter – an actual tangible, piece of paper with handwriting from friends and family – is such a lift. It’s a wonderful way to connect people that goes beyond what an email or text message can do.”

The new post box sits in the Discovery Building, a new scientific support and operations hub, and has been up and running since 13 December.

It was delivered by the RRS Sir David Attenborough research vessel along with the first drop of major supplies following a long Antarctic winter.

Shaw continued: “Being in Antarctica is incredible, but it’s full of extremes. So I think it’s a special thing to send post back home, to communicate your experiences. It’s a moment of your life that you put down on paper and give to someone else.”

The process of sending and receiving mail from the remote research station is an impressive endeavour. Firstly, Shaw sorts staff correspondence for international delivery, adding British Antarctic Territory stamps, before packing into bags.

These bags are then loaded on either the RRS Sir David Attenborough or a BAS aircraft set for the Falkland Islands. From there, the mail is transported on the ‘air bridge’ route to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire where it joins the Royal Mail postal network.  

Station leader at Rothera Research Station, Aurelia Reichardt, said it was “an honour” to be gifted a real Royal Mail post box.

“It’s given the community here a real boost – and it’s a great reminder to take the time to reach out to loved ones, even when work gets hectic. For our team, who are working in such a remote place, it’s like having a piece of home with us,” Reichardt said.

David Gold, director of external affairs and policy at Royal Mail, said it was a delight to donate the post box to the research station.

Gold said: “Sending and receiving mail is a vital connection for staff working in one of the most remote places on Earth – especially at Christmas, when messages from loved ones mean so much.

“This new post box will help keep that tradition alive and ensure the magic of mail even reaches the Antarctic.”

Only staff can use the Rothera Research Station Post Office, with the most southerly public post office located at Port Lockroy on the Antarctic Peninsula, also known as ‘Penguin Post Office’.