CSA Past Presidents - Peter Parker

Peter Parker

1974-76 Barbados

Captain Peter Parker, a Barbadian, came back to the Caribbean after a deep-sea shipping career. During the mid-1950s he captained the small inter-island cargo ship ‘Coralita’ operated by his employer, Bridgetown-based Da Costa & Co.

Prior to construction of the Deep Water Harbor, ships arriving in Barbados anchored in Carlisle Bay and had their cargo and passengers transported to the wharf by lighters. But in 1961 the Barbados Deep Water Harbour was completed and Peter was offered and accepted the position of general manager of Port Contractors (Barbados). This was the operation responsible for the receiving, storing and delivery of freight landed from general cargo ships (containers did not come to Barbados until the mid1970s) and he held this post until 1979.

When this company morphed into the Barbados Port Authority, Peter became its first CEO and remained in that position until his retirement in 1981. Peter is today credited with the modernization of Barbados Port.

He was also the recipient of the CSA 25th Anniversary Medal presented in Barbados in 1995. Peter attended Barbados Port Inc’s 50th Anniversary Staff Awards in 2011 and it’s good to know that he is still alive and well.