The first Jewish agricultural colonies in the Holy Land were established in the 1870’s: Petach Tiqva (1878), followed by Rishon Le Zion, Rosh Pinna and Zichron Yaacov (1882), Gedera (1884) and Hadera (1890). Additional colonies were later settled to accommodate the growing Zionist immigration. The settlers in the colonies had a vital need for efficient and reliable postal connections with the Diaspora. At that time, postal services were almost non-existent in rural Palestine. The Turkish Post had offices in a number of towns whilst the Foreign Posts had offices only in the three major cities. As mail was not collected or delivered in the colonies by the post office, other arrangements had to be made. Mail had to be forwarded to the nearest town in order to be sent, and incoming mail had to be collected there. Settlers who happened to be passing through the town carried out this task. Austrian postal agencies were established in two of the largest colonies: Rishon Le Zion and Petach Tiqva. In some of the colonies, charges were collected for the forwarding service. Local stamps were issued for this purpose in Petach Tiqva and Hadera. The German post office followed in the footsteps of the Austrians and opened an agency in Rishon Le Zion. The Turkish post did not remain idle and established post offices in five colonies: Rishon Le Zion (Aioun-Cara), Petach Tiqva, Rehovot, Zichron Ya'aqov and Rosh Pinna.With the outbreak of World War I, the foreign post offices were closed and settlers were obliged to use the services of the Turkish post.