ðə stˈeɪʃən wʌz ˈoʊpənd baɪ ðə ɡɹˈænd dʒˈʌŋkʃən ɹˈeɪlweɪ dʒˌiːdʒˌeɪˈɑːɹ ˌɔn fˈoːɹ dʒuːlˈaɪ wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi sˈɛvən, ænd wʌz nˈeɪmd hˈæmstɛd ænd ɡɹˈeɪt bˈɑːɹ; ɪt wʌz ɹᵻnˈeɪmd ɡɹˈeɪt bˈɑːɹ baɪ ðə lˈʌndən ænd nˈɔːɹθ wˈɛstɚn ɹˈeɪlweɪ ˌɛlˌɛndˌʌbəljˌuːˈɑːɹ, ðə səksˈɛsɚ tə ðə dʒˌiːdʒˌeɪˈɑːɹ ˌɔn wˈʌn mˈeɪ wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti fˈaɪv.
The station was opened by the Grand Junction Railway (GJR) on 4 July 1837, and was named Hamstead and Great Barr; it was renamed Great Barr by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR, the successor to the GJR) on 1 May 1875.