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.
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.