Barbados has one of the world’s oldest postal services. In 1663, during the reign of Charles II, England’s Imperial Post Office established a Packet Agency on the island.

Barbados is only the second island in the British West Indies to establish an Inland Post Service by an Act of Parliament. The local Legislature passed the Post Office Act in 1851.

Unlike the other Caribbean islands, British stamps were never used for domestic postage in Barbados. The first issue of “Barbados” stamps was placed on sale on April 15th, 1852, when the local Post Office also commenced operations. It is this date on which the anniversary of the Inland Post is celebrated.

An Act of Parliament in 1854, served to amalgamate the Imperial Packet Agency and the Inland Post Office. By 1858 the Packet Agency was abolished and all mail received became the responsibility of the Colonial Postmaster.

Ever an innovator, the Barbados Post introduced Registration and Money Order Services in 1861

The Parliament Buildings of Barbados were the headquarters of the Barbados Postal Service for 112 years – from 1872 to 1984. At this location, there were a number of firsts for the Barbados Post.

In 1874 the first stamps with values were introduced.

In 1881 the first wall posting boxes were erected

In 1886, the Barbados Post inaugurated an International Parcel Service with England and in 1887 a similar arrangement was reached with the United States.

Over the 100 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.

In the early 1900s when scores of Barbadians emigrated to the United States and Panama, and again in the 1950s, when there was also large scale immigration but to England, the Post was the primary means of facilitating communication between the migrants and their families at home.

In those years, the Post was the only Agency through which families received letters, gift parcels, and cash remittances from their relatives overseas.

The Parcel Post Department served as the means by which many of the dry goods and hardware stores imported their stock in that era.

Then World War II occurred and plunged the world into much uncertainty. Barbados was not unscathed because as a result of the War, a special department known as the Censor Office was created in 1939. 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. Letters and packets were opened to determine their content. Any reference to the movement of ships was blotted out to protect ships travelling in the region from espionage and then the mail was resealed with a special Censor Label.