Letters and packets were opened to determine their content. When World War II occurred, Barbados was not unscathed and as a result of the War, a special department known as the Censor Office was created in This office was located in a room under the Senate in the Parliament Buildings, and there all incoming and outgoing overseas mail, which showed no sign of being censored, was intercepted. The Parcel Post Department served as the means by which many of the dry goods and hardware stores imported their stock in that era.Ī legacy of the British Empire is the use of some iconic historical pillar boxes mailboxes with the official cypher of the Barbadian monarchalthough after political independence their further roll-out has slowed.

In those years, the Post was the only Agency through which families received letters, gift parcels, and cash remittances from their relatives overseas. In the early s when scores of Barbadians emigrated to the United States and Panama Afro-Panamanianand again in the s, when there was also large scale immigration but to Englandthe Post was the primary means of facilitating communication between the migrants and their families in Barbados. Over the years in which the Post Office was headquartered in the Parliament Buildings, the Barbados Postal Service has made a valuable contribution to the social, economic and educational development of Barbados. By the Packet Agency's name and role were retired and all mail received became the responsibility of the colonial Barbados Postmaster.įor years the Parliament Buildings of Barbados were the headquarters of the Barbados Postal Service from to At this location, there were a number of firsts for the Barbados Post. It is this date on which the anniversary of the Inland Post is celebrated. The local legislature passed the Post Office Act in Unlike many of the other Caribbean nations, British stamps were never used for any domestic delivery postage in Barbados. Barbados was the second territory in the British West Indies to establish an inland post service by an Act of Parliament. Customs for low value, low dutiable items. As under the Post Office Act the postal service is empowered to process express mail and parcel post items independent of HM Barbados Customs, including the collection of duties and taxes on behalf of H. Inthe Postal services for Barbados were reconstituted following the passage of local legislation enabling the delivery of inland postage.

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