OSPA - Overseas Service Pensioners' Association

Serving Empire Exhibition 2008

In May 2008 the British Empire & Commonwealth Museum, then located in Bristol, launched a travelling exhibition about the lives and work of the people engaged in administering and developing the former British colonial territories around the world, as members of the Colonial Service (Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service) which came to an end in 1997. OSPA was a leading co-sponsor and OSPA members contributed to the material.

The exhibition displays the broad development of the colonial territories to improve the lives and welfare of their peoples. It covers subjects like natural resources (agriculture, forestry, fisheries, geological, veterinary services, wildlife, water supplies), education and training (primary to university), health (medical and public health services), transport and communications (roads, rail, lake and river transport, posts and telegraphs), public participation (elections, local government), research services, etc.

The exhibition comprises photographs, film material, and oral history recordings in which the mainly British people involved have given voice to their personal experiences and memories which form such an important part of the primary historical evidence of the colonial period, chiefly since the end of WWII.

The Museum's intention had been to display the exhibition at various locations around Britain for a period of several years. That has not yet happened, because of the Museum's planned move from Bristol to London which has been delayed by the general financial upheaval. The exhibition is safely stored and will be put to good use when the Museum becomes active again.