The Colonial Service was the British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 government service which administered Britain's colonies and protectorates

British Empire

The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...

, under the authority of the Secretary of State for the Colonies

Secretary of State for the Colonies

The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various colonial dependencies....

 and the Colonial Office

Colonial Office

Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...

 in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

.

Before the 1930s there was no unified Colonial Service and not even any unified sub-services. Each colony and protectorate had its own services and prospective officers applied directly to each one. If they wanted to transfer to another colony or protectorate they had to apply separately to the government of that entity.

The Colonial Service amalgamated with Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service

Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service

Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service is the diplomatic service of the United Kingdom, dealing with foreign affairs, as opposed to the Home Civil Service, which deals with domestic affairs...

in the late 1960s.

Ranks

Commissioned into the Colonial Service, the ranks and positions were as follows-

• District Officer Cadet
• Assistant District Officer (awarded if suitable after two year's probation
• District Officer
• District Commissioner
• Provincial Commissioner

Services

It was technically divided into sixteen separate services:

• Colonial Administrative Service
• Colonial Agricultural Service
• Colonial Audit Service
• Colonial Chemical Service
• Colonial Customs Service
• Colonial Education Service
• Colonial Forest Service
• Colonial Geological Survey Service
• Colonial Legal Service
• Colonial Medical Service
• Colonial Mines Service
• Colonial Nursing Service
• Colonial Police Service
• Colonial Postal Service
• Colonial Survey Service
• Colonial Veterinary Service