In Port Lockroy, Antarctica, there is a small building with little red doors and little red windows and a little red roof. Isolated, alone and exposed to some of the most extreme weather conditions on earth, this quaint structure is the world’s most remote post office.
The post office in Port Lockroy is not a relic from the past, either. It is run by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT), and though it was closed temporarily during the Covid-19 pandemic, it reopened in 2022, operated by four people working on the island between November and March.
An estimated 80,000 pieces of mail pass through Port Lockroy post office annually, largely consisting of postcards and letters from tourists visiting the island. No matter where the mail is going – mail typically travels from Port Lockroy to over 100 different countries each year – the post office charges a very reasonable $1.
Though now famed for its picturesque post office, Port Lockroy, located in northwest Antarctica on a small piece of land called Goudier Island, has long been a hub of Antarctic exploration. It offers safe anchorage and is visited by tens of thousands of tourists each year, who can visit a museum and explore the port’s role in Antarctic history.
Though now famed for its picturesque post office, Port Lockroy, located in northwest Antarctica on a small piece of land called Goudier Island, has long been a hub of Antarctic exploration. It offers safe anchorage and is visited by tens of thousands of tourists each year, who can visit a museum and explore the port’s role in Antarctic history.
Read More: This is the world’s most remote lighthouse
Port Lockroy was first used by whaling fleets in the early 20th century. It was then chosen by the British as the site at which to set up their first year-round base, known as Base A. It was established on February 11, 1944, originally part of wartime efforts under a mission code-named Operation Tabarin, before then becoming a scientific research center. The center continued to operate until January 1962, when it was moved to larger and more modern bases. In 1995, Port Lockroy was converted to a historic, primarily tourist-driven site, known as Monument No. 61 in 1995.
The four, five-month employment postings at Port Lockroy involve different roles. One is the postmaster, in charge of the physical correspondence on the island, while another person runs the museum and the gift shop. The two less public-facing roles include coordinating with visiting ships, and monitoring the 1,500-strong colony of gentoo penguins who inhabit Port Lockroy.
It might not be everybody’s cup of tea. There is no running water and no wifi, and phone calls are limited to ten minutes a week. Despite the lack of modern luxuries, over 6,000 applications were submitted to UKAHT for the four positions when they reopened in 2022.
When particularly heavy snow hit Port Lockroy in December last year, soon after the post office reopened, members of Britain’s Royal Navy were enlisted to dig out the building.
