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An Outstanding Mansion: “Regina Walauwwa” become “College House”-by Yomal Senerath-Yapa Yomal Senerath-Yapa, in Sunday Times, 8 May 2022, where the title runs thus: “Enduring Symbol of Colombo University” … with a sub-line reading “A new coffee-table book maps the beginnings of the country’s academia in 1921“ Source:Thuppahis The majestic College House down Thurstan Road – a whimsical marriage between an English country house and a Maharajah’s haveli with its conical roofs, turrets and slender carved wooden columns, is for the historian a relic of a bygone age. Originally called ‘Regina Walawwa’, in time the house would be renamed College House and become the icon of the Colombo University. Prof Sandagomi Coperahewa Dr. Shravika Amarasekara Built by Thomas Henry Arthur de Soysa for his wife, she would sadly never preside over the mansion or walk down its sweeping staircase, as she died before the building’s completion in 1912. It was in 2017 that Sandagomi Coperahewa, ...

Apr 4, 2024 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Chamini Kulathunga, Malaka Lalanajeewa, Premasara Epasinghe, Regina Walauwwa, University of Ceylon, University of Colombo

Ceylon’s first university in memory and imagination–By Ernest Macintyre Source:Island The Mahaweli River, 335 long, the longest river in Lanka, has its beginning in a remote village of Nuwara-Eliya District in the central hills, and ends going into the sea at the Bay of Bengal on the east coast at Trincomalee. As it passes Kandy, the main town of the central province, and goes south about six kilometers, it bends at an elbow to the shape of an arm, to cradle within an expanse of habitation born from nature accommodating Lankan classical and colonial architecture, the residential University of Ceylon, Peradeniya. From the sandy banks of the river the richly vegetated land slopes gently upward till it reaches the old Galaha Road along which on either side, from the Botanical Gardens junction, north to the ancient Buddhist village of Hindagla ,south, are the buildings designed by architect Shirley D’ Alwis. ...

Feb 15, 2023 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged James Peiris, University of Ceylon

A.M.A. AZEEZ AND THE GLORY THAT WAS ZAHIRA-BY THALIF DEEN Source:Island Al Haj A.M.A. Azeez, one of the rare Muslim intellectuals of his generation was a scholar, a writer, an innovative thinker and an educationist with a sharp and perceptive mind. When he quit the elitist and prestigious Ceylon Civil Service (CCS) to take over Zahira College, Colombo, back in 1948, he sacrificed a potentially bright professional career in the cause of his community. If Al Haj T.B. Jayah, the first Principal, laid the foundation for Zahira, Azeez built the super-structure. The monumental achievements of Zahira in its heyday prompted a former Sri Lankan President to describe it as “one of the greatest public schools in our country”. Azeez died on November 24, 1973 at the age of 62. But his enduring intellectual legacy lives on. The first Muslim to enter the CCS, his contribution to Muslim education was immeasurable ...

Nov 28, 2022 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Ceylon Civil Service, University of Ceylon, Zahira College

Seeking to contact Charles (Charlie) Swan and his brother Arthur I am looking for Charles (Charlie) Swan and his brother Arthur. They both attended Wesley College Colombo in the 1950’s. Charlie qualified as an engineer from the University of Ceylon. Their Father worked in the Ceylon Railways. Charlie and Arthur emigrated to Australia in the 1960’s. I would be most grateful for any information. Dr Nihal D Amerasekera (email: douglasamera@gmail.com ) ...

Apr 23, 2022 Posted by eLanka admin In SEEKING TO CONTACT Tagged University of Ceylon, Wesley College Colombo

MEMORIES & TRIBUTE TO AN ANTONIAN TEACHER – Mrs Chandra Bandaranaike (1925 -1960) – by Tilak Pananwala Mrs Chandra Bandaranaike (nee Kulatunga) was a Teacher at St Anthony’s College, Kandy from 1951 to 1960. Her younger brother Cecil Kulatunga now domiciled in Sydney, Australia is a distinguished product of the college passing the University Entrance exam and obtaining a BSc (Eng.) degree from then University of Ceylon, Peradeniya. Mrs Bandaranaike was among the group of excellent Teachers the college was blessed with during this decade. She hailed from the village of Pujapitiya in the Harispattuwa district from a respected ancestral Kandyan family and had a primary education at the Girl’s High School, Kandy before qualifying as a Trained Teacher and taught History, Geography, Civics & Sinhalese to Form 1 & 2 classes at St Anthony’s. We still remember her with admiration for the clarity and erudition as a teacher, her friendly demeanour and the ...

Nov 4, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Cecil Kulatunga, Chandra Bandaranaike, Kandy, nee Kulatunga, St.Anthony’s College, Tilak Pananwala, University of Ceylon

Richmond 60 Club Birthday Greetings to Walter J. May – A SPORTING LEGEND Thomian Cricket Team of 1947 – Richmond College pay tribute to their sporting legend on his 92nd Birthday Walter May later joined S. Thomas and played in the Royal Thomians of 1947 and 1948. He has scored a 50 as the opening bat MESSAGE OF THE 6O CLUB PRESIDENT As the President of the Richmond 60 Club, I am happy to write a few words for the special supplement issued to coincide with the 92nd birthday of Walter J May on 08th January 2021. He joined Richmond in 1952 as English Teacher & continued until 1956. I was a student at the time in the lower middle school and did not have much to interact with this outstanding personality, as much as I would have loved to. Nevertheless, I distinctly remember this tall lanky and handsome teacher at school smartly ...

Jan 20, 2021 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged A Brendan Sosa, A F Katunayake, Former Intelligence Officer, Nihal De Alwis, Nissanka Ediriweera, Nuski Mohamed FCA FCMA, Richmond, Richmond 60 Club Birthday, SPORTING LEGEND, Sri Lanka Cricket & the Asian Cricket Council, University of Ceylon, Walter J. May