Category: Postmarks

Filabusi

Insiza District

 

Filabusi is the district capital of the Insiza District and service centre for the surrounding mining and farming areas.

Filabusi was once a major producer of gold, with mines such as Fred and Royal Family, nickel at Epoch (Bindura Nickel Corporation) and asbestos at Pangani and Croft, but all these are now closed.

 

Post Office

History

• 1894.07.15 – Opened as a postal agency under Bulawayo. Operated by the B.S.A.P.
• 1916.01.13 – Upgraded to a Post Office.
• 1910.05.04 – Downgraded to postal agency.

Service

• 1901.08.06 – Mail service by coach or mail cart to Balla Balla.
• 1910.05.01 – Mail service replaced by runners.
• 1915.11.14 – Mail service by coach/mail cart resumes.
• 1927.04.01 – Mail service by motor car.

Postmarks

• Instructional
• Postmarks
• Unpaid

 

Fort Rixon

Insiza District

 

Fort Rixon was founded as a British military post in 1896 during the Ndebele uprisings near the site of the Dhlo-Dhlo ruins.

Prominent in local tradition, the Dhlo-Dhlo ruins appear to be of 17th- or 18th-century origin, yielding Portuguese, Arab, and Jesuit relics. It is believed that Dhlo-Dhlo was a seat of the supreme chief of the Rozwi people before the arrival of the Ndebele.

It is now an agricultural (corn [maize] and tobacco) and ranching centre and the focus of gold-mining activities in the area.

Post Office

History

• 1902.03.31 – Opened as a postal agency under Bulawayo.
• 1903.08.14 – Upgraded to a Post Office.
• 1910.05.04 – Downgraded to postal agency.

Service

• 1902.03.31 – Mail service by runner to Insiza.
• 1910.05.01 – Mail service by by coach or mail cart to Insiza.
• 1926.04.01 – Mail service by motor car (up to thrice weekly).
• 1929.00.00 – Mail service by car reduced to twice weekly.

Postmarks

Type	Earliest Date	Latest Date	Notes
D1	13/08/1902	20/04/1903
D2	09/07/1903	12/09/1950
D3	14/01/1940	14/01/1940
D4	00/12/1944	00/12/1944
D5	31/01/1958	07/05/1962

Arcturus

Goromonzi District

Arcturus is a village that grew up around, and named after, Arcturus Mine. The mine, established in 1891, was one of the leading and oldest gold producers in Rhodesia and started operations in 1907.

Post Office

History

• 1910.02.03 – Opened as a postal agency (previously a telegraph office).
• 1911.03.31 – Upgraded to a money and telegraph office.
• 1952.00.00 – New post office building opened.

Service

• 1910.02.03 – Mail service by cart or coach to Salisbury.
• 1914.01.01 – Mail service by motor car until WWI conditions caused it to be replace by mail cart/coach.
• 1922.12.08 – Mail service by motor car resumed.

Postmarks

Type	Earliest Date	Latest Date	Notes
D1	04/02/1910	08/03/1910
D2	08/04/1910	11/05/1937
D3	11/01/1913	28/02/1913
D4	31/05/1937	31/05/1958
D5	16/02/1959	10/11/1965
D6	07/04/1958	10/11/1965

Dadaya

Shabani District

 

Post Office

History

• 1945.05.01 – Opened as a postal agency under Shabani.

Postmarks

 

Type	Earliest Date	Latest Date	Notes
D2	01/06/1945	10/11/1965

Chakari

Chakari was first known, in 1907, as Turkois Mine, but the name was changed in 1911 to Shagari. Owing to the difficulty some Europeans have in pronouncing the African language, it became obvious that the name should have been Chakari, and not Shagari. It was accordingly decided to alter it once more and on 1st July, 1923, it officially became known as Chakari.

Post Office

History

• 1923.07.01 – Name changed from Shagari to Chakari.
• 1946.00.00 – New building opened for the postal agency.
• 1951.06.01 – Upgraded to a money and telegraph office.

Service

• 1929.01.00 – Daily mail service from Gatooma.

Postmarks

Type	Earliest Date	Latest Date	Notes
D6	10/12/1923	29.03.1954
D8	08/09/1954	10/11/1965
D9	04/04/1959	10/11/1965

Bembesi

Bubi District

 

Bembesi was the site of the most decisive battle of the Matabele War. On 1st November, 1893, a battle was fought between the Matabele Warriors (Ndebele), under the leadership of Lobengula, and the British forces, under the command of Major Patrick Forbes.

Lobengula fled after the defeat at Bembesi but not before deciding to burn his capital Bulawayo to the ground rather than allow it to be captured by the British.

Post Office

History

• 1905.10.12 – Opened as a post and telegraph office under Bulawayo.
• 1910.05.04 – Downgraded to postal agency.

Service

• 1905.10.12 – Mail service by rail.

Postmarks

Type	Earliest Date	Latest Date	Notes
D2	07/03/1906	10/11/1965