Ceylon Society of Australia – SYDNEY – First General Meeting on Sunday 24th February 2019
The Meeting will commence at 6.30 pm at the Pennant Hills Community Centre, Ramsay Road, Pennant Hills, NSW 2120. Ramsay Road is off Yarrara Road and the Community Centre is opposite the Pennant Hills Railway Station. The entrance to the building is from the car park at the
back of the building. Members and their Guests are welcome.
This is to inform you of an unforeseen change to the programme announced for our 24 February meeting. Our scheduled speaker, His Excellency Mr Somasunderam Skandakumar, is unfortunately unable to come to Sydney due to ill health. As a consequence, Mr Thiru Arumugam, immediate past President of the CSA has kindly agreed to speak on the topic of “Deekirikevage Saradiel: the 19th century Robin Hood of Ceylon”.
Please inform anyone you may know of who had planned to attend,
about the change in programme.
AMENDED NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETING
The First General Meeting of the Ceylon Society of Australia for 2019 will take place on Sunday, 24th February 2019 commencing at 6.30 pm at the Pennant
Hills Community Centre, Ramsay Road, Pennant Hills, NSW 2120. Ramsay Road is off Yarrara Road and the Community Centre is opposite the Pennant
Hills Railway Station. The entrance to the building is from the car park at the back of the building. Members and their Guests are welcome.
Thiru Arumugam will speak on the topic of “Deekirikevage Saradiel: the 19th century Robin Hood of Ceylon”. Thiru needs no introduction as he is our immediate Past President and he has spoken at our meetings on previous occasions.
Saradiel was born in 1832 in the Kegalle District. He was from a poor family and due to discrimination he formed a gang and drifted into a life of banditry.
He robbed the homes of the British Coffee Planters and regularly held up the Colombo-Kandy Mail Coach. Like Robin Hood he distributed the proceeds
of his activities among the poor people of the district and became a local hero.
His hideout was a secret cave on Uthuwankanda Mountain. The British Governor became alarmed at his activities and changed the regulations so that Ceylonese Policemen could carry arms. After several narrow escapes he was finally arrested on 21st March 1864 and the trial was held in Kandy a fortnight later.
The talk will be illustrated with several slides.
SOCIAL: After a brief question time period, the usual Social will follow. Those able are requested to kindly bring non-sweet savoury finger food. Please avoid
cakes with icing as the general preferences are for plain cakes, sandwiches and savoury pastries. As an alternative, a donation to the CSA to help defray costs
could be made at the meeting. For further information please contact Amal Wahab, Social Convenor, on 0411 888 182.
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Kindly Note: the original content below is now expired as per the notice above. Hence please disregard.
The Guest Speaker is:
His Excellency Mr Somasundaram Skandakumar,
High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in Australia
Mr Skandakumar was educated at Royal College, Colombo. Playing for Royal in the traditional cricket match against St. Thomas’, he won the ‘Best Performance‘ Award in 1966. He entered the University of Ceylon, Colombo in 1967 where he studied for a Bachelor of Science Degree, graduating in 1970. He played cricket for the University, winning the Award for the “Most Outstanding Sportsman” of the University in 1970.
After graduating, he joined Whittals Estates as an Executive and then in 1974, George Steuarts and Co. where he worked for the next 34 years rising to Managing Director and Group Chairman. He retired in 2008 overseeing eight years, in the role of Group Chairman, described as “one of the most successful in the history of the Company and the Group”.
Mr Skandakumar continued to participate in first class cricket, captaining the Tamil Union Cricket Team from 1982 to 1985. He was Secretary of the Sri Lanka Board of Control for Cricket from 1989 to 1992 and later served as President of the Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club in 1998- 2000.
Since retiring from commercial life in 2008, Mr Skandakumar resettled to his second home in Haputale and has been engaged mainly in social and charity works.
He has been the High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in Australia since August 2015.
His Excellency will speak on The Plantation Industry, once the mainstay of the Sri Lankan Economy, that has over more than 150 years seen many changes. Mr Skandakumar will share his own knowledge of that transition, giving his personal views on the merits of those changes.
Special Social: After a brief question time, a Special Social will follow to farewell His Excellency Mr Skandakumar who finishes his term as Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Australia shortly. A light dinner will be available at the Social, and those participating are kindly requested to contribute $10 towards the catering cost.
For further information contact our Social Convenor Amal Wahab
on 0411 888 182.
