Floreat 2018_Feb

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From the Editor’s Desk

In the previous issue of Floreat, a great deal was said about our past principal
John Henry Harward. Old Royalists from Brisbane located his grave at the
Cemetery of Warwick, Queensland and his obituary taken from the Warwick
newspaper showed how much the people of this town revered and respected him.

This time, Rev Dr Barcroft Boake takes centre stage in our newsletter. Like
John Harward, Rev Dr Boake travelled to Australia after his retirement from Royal
College (then the Colombo Academy). He was Principal of the Colombo Academy
from 1842 to 1870. Arriving in Melbourne in the beginning of 1871, Rev Dr Boake
served as the Vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Balaclava from 1871 until his death in
1876. Information about Rev Boake was obtained from his church’s history and
his obituaries. Visiting this historic Anglican Church, the current acting Vicar
guided me throughout the church and led me to books of the Church’s history and
I was also shown the splendid stained-glass window above the alter that was
dedicated to Rev Boake and his daughter.

The extensive reports from the AGM will be of interest to our members,
especially those who were unable to attend the AGM. After the AGM, at the
luncheon that followed, our Chief Guest - The High Commissioner His Excellency
Somasudaram Skandakumar, delivered the Eddie Gray Memorial Lecture. In his
speech he honoured Eddie Gray - a formidable Royalist from whom we had a lot
to learn. Our Chief Guest and fellow Royalist gave us a lot to think about. His
speech appears in summary.

In his article “The Glendale years” (Floreat Sept. 2017), D L O Mendis wrote
about our students who were relocated to the Planter’s Bungalow Glendale near
Bandarawela during the Second World War. Tony Anghie, now living in Sri Lanka
has responded to this article by writing about the relocations that took place in
Colombo and what was happening in College at that time. It is very special to hear
from Tony Anghie and I thank him for his article. When Tony was living in
Australia, he never missed an AGM and the dinner that followed.

Nalin Pathikirikorale gives us an excellent insight into the College Hostel –
a mysterious place to day scholars but home to hostellers who developed a strong
kinship with each other and survived the harsh rules of the establishment. I was

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fortunate to be able to find a group photo of the hostellers and the teachers. The
photo dates from Nalin Pathi’s time in the hostel.

I am most thankful to Mike Wille for his article about his cricketing
encounters during his great contributions to the game whilst at College. This is a
legendary piece of school cricket history. I had the pleasure as a junior school boy,
to witness his glorious century at the Royal-Thomian match. We also have Mr
Thambapille’s description of a famous rugby try, scored by Lorenz Pereira -
another legendary moment in our sporting history.

Following on from the last issue of Floreat, we have more to read about
Thomian and Royalist fathers and sons. The unnamed author of this article has
written under the pseudonym Rajakeeya. I suspect he really is a wise old Royalist!

Inji Wijeguneratne’s article throws light on those tireless British
“orientalists” who during the late 18th century and early 19th century researched
Buddhist history in India. Remarkable scholars, with a knowledge of Prakrit,
Sanskrit and Pali, they changed the course of history with their findings. Two of
the names mentioned in Inji Wijeguneratne’s article are James Princeps and
George Turnour. These scholars played a vital role in the advancement of
knowledge for the benefit of all, whilst others were part of the colonial
exploitation of India. Inji’s scholarly article, leads to a revelation that connects this
history with Royal College or the Colombo Academy at the time.

There are three obituaries in this newsletter. Vajira Fernando’s funeral
took place in Melbourne, attended by many Royalists. I thank Hugh Karunanayake
for his tributes to Dr Rudra Rasaratnam and Professor Russell Rodrigo.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Floreat.

George Fernando
[email protected]

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Rev Dr Barcroft Boake DD

By George Fernando

Rev Dr Barcroft Boake served as Principal of the Colombo Academy from
1842 to 1870. On retiring he departed to Australia.

“On the morning of his departure from Colombo, all the students and past
pupils assembled at 6.30am at Galle Face before he set off by coach to Galle
to board ship. It was a spontaneous farewell from a multitude that adored
him.” (Perera, S. S. History of Royal College 1935 – 1985 p 12.)

On arrival in Melbourne he had served in Newport and Williamstown for a

time and in early 1871 became the first Vicar of Holy Trinity Church, South

St Kilda (later to become Balaclava). He was very hard working and set out

plans in 1872 for the erection of a permanent church. Quoting from the

church’s history, “Evidently this good Vicar, in his zeal, took little heed of

Photograph from photos of time. For on one occasion the Parochial Committee asked him to cut
Vicars, Holy Trinity, Church down on his sermons, especially in hot weather”
Balaclava

Rev Dr Boake fell into ill health in 1875 and died on 9 September 1876.

Rev Dr Boake’s grave is in the St Kilda Cemetery. There is a beautiful stained-glass window in Holy Trinity

Church in his memory. It is interesting that a church by the same name in Colombo also has a stained-

glass window in his memory.

“Boake was a legend in his lifetime. The Colombo Academy was popularly known to all as Boake Gedere
and not as Colombo Academy. On Boake’s death his admirers installed a stained-glass window in his
memory at Holy Trinity Church, Wolvendhal”. (Perera, S. S. History of Royal College 1935 – 1985 p 116.)

Inscription on Tombstone
In memory of Revd Barcroft Boake DD
incumbent of Holy Trinity Church Sth St Kilda
and late principal of Queen’s College

and Colombo Academy Ceylon
Died 9 September 1876 Aged 62 years

Also of his son
George Owen
Who died St Kilda 22nd June 1879
In the 14th year of his age
Also of his daughter
Fanny Louisa
Who died in St Kilda 6th September 1882
Aged 25 years
Edward Walker Boake
Died 18th June 1922
“I will come again and receive you unto myself”

RCOBAA President Inji Wijegunaratne
standing beside the grave of Rev Dr
Barcroft Boake DD- (Photograph by
G.Fernando)

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(Above: An extract from S. S. Perera. History of Royal College (1835 - 1985) p 11)

Holy Trinity Church Balaclava. Rev Dr B Boarke was its first incumbent commencing in
1871 - Photograph by G. Fernando

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Left: W. Kerry MA. Holy Trinity
Church Balaclava. Extract from
Jubilee Souvenir. 1871 – 1921

Above and below: Boake Memorial
Window. Detail. Located above the
alter, also contains a dedication to
his daughter Fanny Louisa.
Photographs: G Fernando

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Left: Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic.: 1869 -
1954), Saturday 23 September 1876, page 7

In Memoriam,

VIE. REV. BARCROFT BOAKE, D.D. Obit Sep. 9,
1876, aetat 62.

Church of England Messenger and Ecclesiastical
Gazette for the Diocese of Melbourne and Ballarat
(Vic. : 1876 - 1889), Thursday 12 October 1876,
page 5 (Transcription)

We cannot hope to speak adequately, in the
compass of an obituary notice, of this servant of
Christ recently taken from amongst us; we purpose
only to jot down from such materials as have
reached us a few of the leading points of his career.
Entering at Trinity College, Dublin, at the early age
of fourteen, he graduated in due course. He has
often said that it was a great injury to have been
taken from school so early, though it would appear
that his scholastic attainments had more than
prepared him for his University course. He was
ordained by the Bishop of Cork as deacon in 1838,
and priest in 1839. His first curacy was in the
adjoining parish to that held at the time by the now
venerable Dean of Melbourne, Dr. H. B. Macartney. He removed from this curacy to that of Baltimore
in the same diocese. A very brotherly letter from the Bishop of Cork, dated September 1841, testifies in
the fullest manner to Mr. Boake's zeal and usefulness in that cure.

His Master, however, had a different kind of work in store for him. The Church Missionary Society had
proposed in the year 1841 to commence a school in Southern India, and had offered Mr. Boake the
headmastership. This scheme broke down through temporary financial embarrassments of the society,
but shortly afterwards the secretaries of the society were able to recommend Mr. Boake to the
Secretary of State for an appointment as principal of the Colombo Academy. He sailed for the seat of
his appointment early in 1842. The academy was, and is, the first educational establishment in the island
of Ceylon.

The difficulties connected with its management were however great, not only at the commencement,
but to the close of Dr. Boake's rule. His work was greatly hampered by the School Commission (since
abolished), which endeavored throughout to check, if not altogether to stop, the religious instruction
which formed part of the system of the principal. He appears also to have met with great opposition
from many influential persons who, in the words of his reply to an address in leaving the island, "did not
wish that country-born people, whether of purely native or of European descent, should be so educated

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as to be their superiors in information; and who were further animated by a feeling of exclusiveness,
which made them wish to keep in the hands of Europeans all positions by which either honour or profit
was to be acquired." We would like to relate fully the bold, uncompromising conduct of our friend with
regard to the religious difficulty. Suffice it to say, that in the face of all opposition he was able to continue
systematic religious instruction up to the close of 1869. In Ceylon, as in this country, the difficulties in
the way did not arise from the parents of the children.

The success of the Academy under Dr. Boake as principal was great and undoubted; the enthusiasm
manifested in his farewell meetings and addresses together with the matter of the addresses
themselves, abundantly prove this. The Academy was for about ten years affiliated to the University of
Calcutta under the name of Queen's College. It only ceased to be so when lower views of the kind of
education required by the Eurasian and native youth found temporary favour. It is satisfactory to know
that Dr. Boake's views on this subject have been taken up by those in authority in Ceylon, and are being
carried out: thus, men's words as well as their deeds live after them. We cannot but notice here his
unselfish and persistent warfare against the Government support of Buddhist worship. His efforts in this
direction by sermons, speeches, and pamphlets, carried great weight. His position was at one time
seriously endangered owing to the feeling against him thus excited in the minds of those in authority.
Though he considered the Academy his first charge, he was always anxious to make full proof of his
ministry in other ways, and before a different audience. He discharged the duties of military chaplain,
and was for some time an acting colonial chaplain. For some years before his departure from Ceylon he
took charge of a congregation at Caltura, thus entailing upon himself a large amount of extra labour.

The way in which he received his degree of Doctor of Divinity is very interesting. The teachers and
students of the Colombo Academy took the occasion of his fifty-fifth birthday to present him with an
address and. testimonial expressing their desire that, if agreeable to himself, their present might be
applied to paying the fees connected with taking his degree. Failing health, and a fresh phase of the
religious difficulty springing out of a new Government regulation of January, 1870, were the reasons
which finally induced Dr. Boake to resign his appointment and sail for Melbourne. He reached this city
with his family on October 26th, 1870, and after officiating for a short time in various churches, was
appointed to the cure of the new district of South St. Kilda in January, 1871. Here a congregation was
speedily collected and a church built, in which our dear friend ministered with acceptance and success
till July of last year, when he was attacked with the disease, or complication of diseases, which has been
the instrument of his removal.

Our notice of himself and his ministry, as known to us in Victoria, may perhaps be fitly given in the form
of one or two extracts from a sermon preached in Trinity Church on Sunday, September 17th: — "He
was a man of a high type, whose natural qualities had been developed under the genial influences of
the true; he was a Christian gentleman; more than this, he was the anxious, earnest minister of Christ.
I may say, speaking from personal knowledge, that his line of ministration was peculiar. It was part of
his nature not to be satisfied with surface views, and, consequently, his preaching often dealt in a very
thorough way with the difficulties and controversies of the day, and was addressed in a great measure
to cultivated intellects.

It was not only in the pulpit, however, that he showed a special ability for this high class of work; he did
not shrink from dealing with difficult matters in private conference and in correspondence. Not content
with merely rebuking the gainsayer - a point at which many are content to stop — he would go on to

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give an answer, and a sufficient answer, for the hope that was in him. "He appreciated, and was
appreciated by, men of extensive reading and deep research. I have heard him speak of one recently
dead (the Rev. Anketell M. Henderson) as a brother in the faith whom from this point of view he greatly
valued. I may add that he was always ready and anxious to compare his views with those of his brethren
whose reading touched the same subjects with his own. He possessed also the rare quality of candour,
being willing at once to give up or retract any view or statement in which conference or further research
had shown him that he was mistaken.

Throughout his long and painful illness, he manifested the simplest faith. Nothing was allowed to
obscure his view of the great object of our faith and hope, or to shake his confidence. It is not many
days since he expressed to me his humble assurance that Christ would be in some special manner with
His servant when he should be called away. Seldom, if ever, did he, as occasion offered, fail to recognise
the Lord's goodness to him and his." With these extracts we must conclude our notice. The church in
this diocese has lost one of its ablest ministers. He is mourned not only by his family and a large circle
of friends, but by the church in the diocese, and by many who, though not members of that church, yet
valued him highly. We do not endorse all his views set forth by the pulpit and the press — who is there
whom we would thus adopt throughout? — but we thank God for our brother, we acknowledge the
grace that was in him, and pray that we may not be less enlightened, less faithful, and, we may add, less
successful in our work for Christ, than he was.

The Boake Gates turn 80 today!

The Boake Gates, erected in memory of Rev Dr Barcroft
Boake, Principal of Royal College (then the Colombo
Academy) from 1842 - 1870, turn 80 today. The funds
were provided by his son, W H Boake, who in his last
will and testament left money to the Archdiocese of
Colombo on the promise that one third of it would be
utilised to provide some gift of value to Royal College. The
Gates were ceremoniously opened at around 5.30 pm on
the 13th day of January, 1938 by Miss Carpenter-Garnier
(seen in the photograph) on behalf of her brother, the
Lord Bishop of Colombo. She was accompanied by
Principal L H W Sampson Esq, a Senior Prefect and the
Captain of Boake House. This was followed by a
programme of music at the College Hall. The wrought iron
gates, designed by Mr Wynn Jones were manufactured at
the Government Factories with the support of the
Director of Public Works Kenneth de Krester (an Old
Royalist) with consent from the Honourable Secretary
of Finance.

(This article was sent by Udaya Lakshman Kaluaratchi.)

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Eddie Gray Memorial Oration

Spirit of Royal

By Somasundaram Skandakumar

The High Commissioner, His Excellency Somasundaram
Skandakumar delivered the Eddie Gray Memorial Oration to
the audience of old Royalists of all vintages at the luncheon
after the AGM.

After touching briefly on his association with Eddie, initiated
in 1985, through the Sri Lanka Cricket Foundation of Victoria
and relating two anecdotes on the humorous side of the
Gentleman's life which raised laughter round the crowded
hall, the speaker focused on how the Spirit of Royal, was
scrupulously followed by Eddie Gray, throughout his Life.

When our first Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake fell off his horse and died in Eddie's arms, the blame fell
on the mare. Eddie was quick to point out that it was a seizure that led to the fall which was confirmed
later. In doing so Eddie adhered to our first lesson, “To distinguish between right and wrong and to
stand up for what is right."

When he got off his Police vehicle to punch a man who was harassing a beggar on the street, he upheld
our second lesson, viz to "Emulate the Strong but never forget to protect the weak ".

In his blessed and blissful 64-year marriage to Yvonne he lived up to our third lesson that “Every right
implied a corresponding responsibility."

As Head Prefect and thereafter the first Ceylonese head of the Mounted Police and Officer in Charge of
the Fort Police he discharged his duties with impeccable integrity, upholding our fourth lesson, viz
"Greater the authority, greater then had to be the accountability."

When he stepped aside in the boxing ring in a crucial international bout to allow his opponent to pick
up his fallen gum guard and went on to lose the bout, he lived up to our next lesson, that " It was not
the winning that mattered but how one played the game."

The High Commissioner added '' Indeed he played the Game of Life as well to perfection and I have no
doubt that the greatest Scorer who called time on his Life, welcomed him to his heavenly abode with
open arms”.

Finally, Gentlemen, let us reflect on the portraits that adorn our sacred Hall of Fame. Those
distinguished men are remembered even today for two things; Their Intellect and their Integrity. Yes,
there is no greater asset that a man can cherish than his integrity, and Eddie's was impeccable.

"As a further tribute to him, I like to mention that our lives are divided between needs and wants. Being
human our wants will continue to change but basic needs will always remain the same, represented
by food, water, clothing, shelter and peace.

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Our country invested in us in our early education and there could not be a better way to reciprocate
that blessing than to make our own meaningful contribution to that process of peace, because no Nation
can aspire to fulfil the true potential of its Independence unless that Independence embraces each of
its citizens equally.

Our loyalty to our school is reflected in a crucial line in our College song, “We kept thy fame Inviolate"

Our National Anthem has the line “Eka Mawa Kuge Daru" while our National flag has four Bo leaves
representing Karuna, Metta, Muditha and Upeka, essentially Love and Compassion.

Loyalty to one’s Country must necessarily reflect commitment to these precious values as well, so let
me conclude by quoting a very famous journalist Oliver Stone in his farewell address at the US Writers
Guild Awards 2017,

"Find time to be by yourself to listen to your inner silences. Try to find the true meaning to your Life on
Earth, and, never give up on your struggle for Peace, Decency, and Telling the Truth ".

Thank you.

Somasundaram Skandakumar with RCOBAA Committee members

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Somasundaram Skandakumar with Brian and Darrell Somasundaram Skandakumar with Committee

Lieversz members and Dr. Mohan Pillai

RCOBAA Members

Somasundaram Skandakumar with RCOBAA past presidents
*Above photographs were captured by Tharun Delpachithra.

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ROYAL COLLEGE - THE YEARS OF WAR AND CHANGE

A.J.B. Anghie - (1942 – 1949)

Anthony Anghie left school in 1949 and was Head Prefect and Dornhorst prizeman. He continued being
in touch with the school being the President of the RC Over 70s Group; being a member of the Bradby
Dinner Committee and was a former Vice President of the RCU.

In 1942, I was one of about a hundred First Formers who entered Royal. The Prep School was not part
of Royal in those days. Two thirds of us were from the RPS while the other third comprised those who
joined us from other schools.

The school had been taken over for a military hospital and we had to share the buildings of the
University College. Form 1A was located in the pavilion of the tennis courts at College House and the
other two First Forms were sited at Cruden on Queen’s Road.

We were there only for part of the First Term, because after we closed for the Easter and New Year
Holidays, the Japanese raided Colombo on 5th April 1942. Royal ceased to function. However, the Royal
– Thomian was played and we won handsomely. Gamini Salgado, who was also Head Prefect, scored a
captain’s century.

Later that year Royal opened a branch in Bandarawela – at Glendale and later the main school was
established in Turret Road. We occupied ‘Carleton Lodge’ – present Capri; ‘Turret House’ next to it
across Alwis Place - the home of Col. T.G. Jayawardene, which extended to where the Mango Tree is
today, bound by Turret Road and Greeen Path; ‘Firdoshi’ opposite ‘Turret House’ where we had the
labs, and ‘Sudassana’ which belonged to Sir. Gerard Wijekoon, at the corner of Turret Road and Generals
Lake Road, (now Sir. James Peiris Mw). Forms I to III were at ‘Carlton Lodge’; Forms V, LVI and UVI in the
library and Prefects’ room at Turret House and Form IV at ‘Sudassana’ which also housed the Principal’s
office and the Staff Room.

The school sessions were reduced from two to one. We had only afternoon sessions and Inter House
sports and practices were played on the University Grounds in the mornings! Inter School First XI Cricket
was played on Friday and Saturday and junior cricket on Saturdays.

Due to petrol rationing, the majority of the school population used public transport or rode bicycles to
school – this of course included the masters. The bike sheds were located in the stables of Carlton Lodge
which were along Alwis Place. Air Raid Precautions and drills were in force and each building had its own
ARP Warden - one of the masters. In Carlton Lodge we had an air raid shelter, where the present
extension to the Capri building stands.

The choir had its singing classes at Rippleworth – across from Carlton Lodge – the studio and home of
Mr. Devar Surya Sena, where School of Our Fathers was rehearsed!

The extra-curricular activities carried on apace – both the Senior Literary and Junior Literary Associations
held their meetings as did the Art Circle, the Farm Club, the Cadets and the Scouts. School Assembly
was held on the lawn of Turret House as were the drill periods.

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I remember the long interval, when those keen budding rugby players played rugby on the Carlton Lodge
lawn, using a dried coconut as a ball. The play was fast and furious and a mixture of rugby league and
union! Many a shirt was torn and there were plenty of bruises. There were no scrums, but we adopted
– unknown to us - what was used in rugby league! No doubt these efforts helped prepare the future
school teams of 1948 and ‘49, when we first won the Bradby!!

Tennis was played on the courts at Carlton Lodge.

The Fourth Form saw us move to Sudassana and a more sedate year with the Fourth Form exams and
the Rajapakse Prize.

There were a few of us who played chess after school on the back verandah of Sudassana. I can
remember Siri Constantine, Felix Dias (Bandaranaike) and David Chanmugam. Learning to play chess
was useful in later years, when Felix, then advisor to Mrs. Bandaranaike, made me a guest of Her
Majesty, with a number of Royalists and others in connection with the 1962 coup. I used to play chess
with Col Derrick de Saram. We were in solitary confinement in different blocks in Magazine Prison. We
shouted the moves across from our cells using the phonetic alphabet! It was amusing to see an infantry
officer (who later became a general) making notes of what was shouted, thinking we were
communicating in code!

F.C. de Saram was my cricket coach and subsequently, Colonel of my Regiment. Among the other
Royalists detained were Sidney de Zoysa who was my rugby coach and C.C. Dissanaike who coached
athletics in my time. When I was a student, I never dreamed I would be sharing Magazine Prison with
them! Such are the turns of fate!

The Second Term of 1946, saw great changes at Royal. Mr Bradby, the last of the British principals left
us and the first Sri Lankan, Mr. J.C.A. Corea, an Old Royalist succeeded him. The war was over, and we
moved back to our buildings.

The event is described in the Magazine:

“The term began with the ceremonial return of Royal to her old home. After the Principal had opened
the Boake Gates, the boys marched into the grounds and watched the College flag by a prefect, C.D.L.
Fernando. Then the whole gathering including past and present pupils sang the College Song. After all
those present had taken their seats in the hall, Mr Donald Obeysekere lit the Lamp of Learning amidst a
solemn silence. “Let us now praise famous men” was read by Dr. Frank Gunasekera. The Principal then
read out a cable received from England that morning – “Many Happy Returns to Royal – Reid and
Bradby.” Soon after this another College prefect – M. Rodrigo called upon Mr. Kenneth de Kretser to
unveil Mr. Harry Peiris’ portrait of our former Principal, Mr. E.L.Bradby.”

The 1940’s saw major changes in the history of the Island. Free education was introduced in 1945 and
the School Magazine commented that Royal was moving with the times and in keeping with the needs
of the country.

I shall remember 1947 as the year in which Gamini Goonasena, played the Thomian match without his
colours. It probably was the only occasion. He was chosen to play on the morning of the match. F.C. de
Saram the coach, insisting he play, while Kasippillai the captain opposed him. The team photograph
shows Goonasena not wearing a cricket blazer! In later years he went on to Captain Cambridge, make

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the highest individual score for the university – 311, and played for both the ‘Gentlemen’ and the
“Players’ at Lords. This had an interesting sequel. In 1961 I was returning from England and Kasippillai
was a traveling companion. He had been at Cambridge with Goonasena, but was not selected by him to
play the ‘varsity match vs. Oxford; Goonasena did not award him his ‘Blue’! I had to remind him that he
did not want to play Goonasena in the Royal – Thomian in 1947!

This was followed in 1948 with Ceylon being granted Independence. There was a sense of change in the
school among the seniors, otherwise the school settled down to its accustomed routine – the highlights
of the year being the Royal – Thomian; the Bradby; the Stubbs Shield; the Public Schools Meet and the
Prize Giving at the end of the year.

Assembly was held in the Hall where all school notices were announced, Prefects appointed and colours
awarded. There was no Colours Ceremony!! Readings at assembly were from the great religious books
and the assembly was dismissed by the Head Prefect after the masters had left the hall.

In 1948 the most memorable event was the winning of the Bradby for the first time. The rugby fifteen
comprised fourteen freshers. Ashroff Cader the captain was the only coloursman.

Looking back over the years, there have been many changes in 50 years - otherwise there would be no
progress! Physically and geographically the school has changed. The bicycles sheds were where the
West Wing is now. The Junior Cricket Ground, where the East Wing is! The tuck shop was behind the
cricket pavilion and the ‘fights’ took place there!

The cricket ground remains the same, except we installed a turf wicket in 1949. Trinity was the only
school that played on turf in those days.

The major change after the war was in the dress code. Pre-war, the sixth formers wore suits to school.
The informality of the war years however continued, with open shirts and slacks, and continues to this
day. Of course, we had eccentrics like D.B.I.P.S Siriwardene who wore long blue shorts until he left
school. He was quite brilliant, offered Latin, Greek, Pali and Sanskrit, got a First, entered the Civil Service,
where he distinguished himself. We do not learn Latin and Greek any more. However, we do have more
‘useful’ languages – French, German and Chinese.

There was no interference by parents in the participation of their offspring in sports as there is now.
Our parents probably never knew what sport we played unless we broke a bone or had a black eye!
They never contacted the Principal, unless they were summoned to report on our poor performance.
The story goes that a parent was summoned and informed that the student was performing below his
potential. The Principal said that ‘You can take horses to water, but you cannot make them drink!’ To
which the reply was ‘But Mr……………… you are paid to make them drink!’

We had more than our quota of politicians’ sons, but there was absolutely no political pressure, and
none was ever expected!

The crests on the Boake Gates were painted in colour and not drab grey as they are now.

School cricket matches saw half the school as spectators, surrounding the grounds – home or away –
on their bicycles. Today boys do not have their independent transport with the result that there are only
few old boys and a lesser number of present boys at matches - or is there a lack of interest?

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However, Royal has moved with the times and has adapted to the requirements of a more digital and
computerized age; so successfully, that we have been chosen as one of the best in the world by
Microsoft.

The productions and management of events by the boys have been most impressive. It has shown that
Royal will always produce individuals of initiative, imagination and resourcefulness; and I wonder
sometimes if we could ever have done better in our time.

What has continued and not changed is the continued loyalty to the school and the maintaining of the
values of Royal, where we still ‘learn of books and learn of men and learn to play the game!’

Reflecting on schooldays of fifty years ago, I was drawn to a verse in the Harrow School song, which I
have adapted –

Forty years on, getting older and older,
Shorter in wind, as in memory long,
Feeble of foot and rheumatic of shoulder,
Can you remember, when in sport you were strong?
Royal’s traditions, we still need to guard.
Maintaining values is a war to be won.
May we still have the strength to strive just as hard,
Forty and fifty and sixty years on!!

Remembering the Latin I learnt, I would like to quote one of the school mottos - ‘Floreat’! Far more
appropriate than ‘Esto perpetua’!

Sunday Times 2

Those halcyon days at Royal College hostel

By Nalin Pathikirikorale

This is the story, of a journey of what hostel life was in the 1950s. I joined Royal
and the Hostel in 1956 from Greenlands (now Isipathana), after my father passed
away a year before. The hostel became my second home for the next eight years,
for I went home to my mother only during the three term holidays in April, August
and December. The hostel fee was Rs. 95 a month!

Cecil Belleth (Bella to the boys) was the warden and icons such as Elmo de Bruin
(Bruno), L. Samararatne (Tokka) and R.M.D. Devapriya (Deva) were the other masters with whom we
grew up. Besides being teachers of the school, they were fair men, who tolerated truancy with good
humour and if it was above levels tolerable, we would end up with six of the best.

There were only about 90 of us at the time, mostly from the outstations, but also a few incorrigibles
from around the corner! The principle of hierarchy was an accepted norm, as such, we were mortally
scared of our prefects and seniors. We were taught to respect the elders without argument and the
notion of “fair play” was well ingrained into us from the outset. By the time we left the hostel, we were

16

ready to meet any challenge that life presents whilst always respecting the other points of view. We
would argue passionately about what we believed, but equally, agreed to disagree like gentlemen.

The day started with Physical Training (PT) at 6.10 am with a study period of one hour from 6.45 a.m.;
breakfast was thereafter at 8.00 am and we walked to College, which began at 8.40 a.m.; the one hour
lunch break began at 11.50 am, when we would rush back to the hostel for lunch and get back as fast
as possible for a round of softball, French cricket or touch rugby. School was over at 3.40 pm, when we
were compelled as hostellers to participate in any one of the variety of sports that College had on offer.
Many hostellers ended up playing cricket, rugby, hockey, tennis, basketball etc, at the highest level for
the College. Indoor games such as table tennis, carom and chess were popular with the hostellers and
most of them went on to excel at the highest level.

The ‘Hostel Day” was the culmination of hostel
activities for the year and we were served with
yellow rice and chicken curry on the big occasion.
Chicken by the way, was the most expensive
meat in those times! The principal of Royal
College was always the chief guest, and parents
were invited to attend and the day would begin
with a number of activities and wind up with a
presentation of a short drama or musical by each
grade. It was such fun and every hosteller looked
forward to the Hostel Day.

The humour and laughter which rang through

Royal College Hostel (1969) the walls of the hostel, held everyone in good
spirit all the time and no doubt created an

homely and fun atmosphere. There were all types of pranksters in the hostel and they would provide

free fun for the others at the expense of day-boys and teachers. Once a hosteller wrote an excuse letter

on behalf of his father who knew nothing of it. He was caught because he started the letter stating,

“please excuse my son as he is suffering from flew,” Well, he got six of the best, I suppose not for forging

but for misspelling!! There were many pranks carried out by us hostellers, which still bring nostalgic

memories of the good times we shared in the hostel.

It was after I left the hostel that I began to realise the real contribution hostel life made to me. I came
to respect others’ viewpoints and realise that there is always someone better than you in any field you
may work in. The word “I” became abhorring and the word “We” formed a significant part of life. Team
work was imbibed with great affection and we learnt to take pride in learning from others around us.

Punctuality and dint of hard work were a paradigm of success, as were, honesty and integrity in
whatever we did. It was perhaps the most enjoyable period of my life.

I sit back today and reminisce the good times I spent in the hostel and the contribution it made to my
life. On reflection, I think every old-hosteller needs to repay the debt they owe to the hostel in
whichever way he can. It is for this reason that most old-hostellers spent time to uplift the life of those
who have followed them in this hallowed institution.

17

Left to Right
Row 1: R G Hapuarachchi, , B.N.Ranasinghe, N. Chellappah, , Zahir Mohamed, M Thassim,
Somasunderam, , Pathirana, H.A.Karunasekara.

Row 2: C.Abeywickrama, S Y Samaraweera, Samaratunga, , C S Fernando, , J D M Kulatilleke, L A D
Sirisena, Wimal Gunawardena, N.Mendis, Wendell Solomons, Dayaratna, Raheem, S.Canagasabey, ,
Garret.Fernando, Nandalal Serasinghe, S L de Silva, U C Jayasinghe, N R Kumarage, R L Wickramaratne,
M A S Dawood

Row 3: N Kalupahana, R Sabapathypillai, Sunil Mendis, N P Nilaweera, , Cassim, Samararatna, , N M
DeRun, A.PL de Vas, Thambiraja, L J K Hettiarachchi, S D Atukorale, T.de Alwis, Lal Ratnayaka, T
Sivanesarasa, N Ranasinghe, N G Patikirikorale, P N W Kannangara, P de Silva, Ismail, M D Illangage, , D
Kalupahana

Row 4: Leon Belleth, , T B C Edirisinghe, S R K N Sabaratnam, , R Rudran, , Wijayanayagam, L A W
Sirisena, L S P Rajendra, S G Gunaratne, , Hutan Hettiaratchi, Mapa Gunaratne

Row 5: , R A Pothuhera, Mr. L Samararatne, Mrs. Belleth, Mr. C E Belleth, Mr. Dudley K G de Silva, Mr. B
St. E de Bruin, Miss Ratnayake, Mr. W Devapriya, T V Wickramasuriya, Sivathondan

Row 6: O K P Gunasekera, Nihal Canagasabey, K I Mahmud, R Chandrasena, D R Pulleperuma, S W
Atukorale, D.E R Hapuarachchi, N.S. Kumaranatunge, K K Amaradasa, P G W G Premaratne,
K A Gunawardena, M H Subasinghe, W Mallawarachchi, S J W Ambepitiya, S N Jayasinghe, G S C Perera

18

Prinsep, Turnour, and the ‘Beloved of the Gods’

Inji Wijegunaratne - President RCOBAA

We tend to see certainties in history but a closer look often reveals a more nuanced and complex
tapestry. These days, in the British colonial history of the Indian Subcontinent we see British Imperial
Sahibs imposing what they perceived as their superior culture, language, and religious institutions on
what they perceived to be an ignorant and uncivilised native populace. They did not, or wilfully would
not, recognise the rich cultural heritage of the land they occupied. However, this view is not entirely
true.

From the late 18th century when the British East India Company first made inroads into India, there
were a minority of British Indiamen, civil servants, army officers, judges who strove tirelessly to uncover
the Subcontinent’s historical and cultural heritage. Working mostly in their own time out of personal
interest they fought the ravages of history and local opposition, sometimes acting with official favour
and patronage but often without. Among them were Charles Wilkins, William (‘Oriental’) Jones, Colin
McKenzie, Brian Hodgson, James Prinsep, George Tournour, and Alexander Cunningham. This is
principally the story of two of these men - James Prinsep and George Turnour - and the role they played
in the 1830s in uncovering a crucial chapter of Buddhist history in India.

First though, some context to set the scene; for today, we do not appreciate the magnitude of the task
these pioneers faced. In the late 18th century Hinduism and Islam were the main extant religious
traditions in India, along with a little Jainism. Buddhism was extinct. Evidence of ancient history was lost
in ruins either in the jungle, underground, indistinguishable from mounds of earth, or subsequently built
upon. Written history was a closed book, with Brahmin priests jealously guarding knowledge of Sanskrit,
which they alone could read. In this milieu Charles Wilkins was the first to break through: He learns
Bengali, builds (in his spare time) a Bengali press and publishes a Bengali grammar, which earns him
enough local kudos to be allowed to study Sanskrit, enabling a publication of a Sanskrit grammar.
‘Oriental’ Jones is now able to study Sanskrit, compared with Persian etc and is able to propose for the
first time, the linguistic and ethnic connections that came to be known as ‘Indo-European’. This, in stark
and momentous contrast to the Colonial orthodoxy that regarded Subcontinentals as ‘scarcely elevated
from savages’. Jones also founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal, which became the centre of
archaeological and historical activity in India (remember that the British East India company and later
the Colonial Government ran their operations from Calcutta) and the rest of the Subcontinent.

Enter Prinsep and Turnour. Both were born at the turn of the 19th century, both their parents also
served in the Subcontinent, in India and Ceylon respectively. Indeed, George Turnour was born in Ceylon
and sent back to England for his education. 1818 – 19 sees both young men returning to the lands of
paternal service, Turnour designated for a minor Ceylon Civil Service post in Kalutara and Prinsep to
assume duties as assistant at the Calcutta Mint. The decade of the 1820s sees them both, in their
separate ways, making a mark on the ‘Orientalist’ scene. Prinsep was the polymath: transferred to the
Mint in Benares (Varanasi), he sets about draining a swamp near the city that was the source of many a
disease; taking down stone by stone an ancient mosque by the Ganges that was sinking, putting in a
foundation and then putting the entire building back together; an avid numismatist, collecting ancient
coins and investigating their origins and lineage - all while performing his duties at the Mint. He
apparently rose very early and finished his duties at the Mint by 10:00 am leaving him free to pursue his
other interests! Turnour in the meantime learns Sinhalese and, transferred to Ratnapura as a
Magistrate, wins the trust of a local Buddhist monk and begins to learn Pali under the monk’s tutelage

19

- very likely the first Englishman seriously to study the language. This turns out to be a monumental
task, occupying him from 1826 to 1836. In 1836 Turnour publishes the very first translation of
Mahavamsa from the original Pali as “The History of Ceylon”, which is a milestone of Ceylon's history as
well as of Buddhism in the island. Turnour's work predates Prof. Geiger's translation of 1912 by a good
seventy odd years, and indeed Geiger acknowledges Turnour's prior work. In Turnour's day it also served
as a powerful riposte to the prevailing view - espoused by a powerful establishment group in England
and the Colonies - that the Subcontinent did not possess a historical record save legends and myths. It
showed the central role of Pali in Buddhist history, supplied a trove of corroborative information of the
kingdoms of the Indian mainland, illuminated the life of the historical Buddha, and the events of early
Buddhism after its founder's death.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves. Let us wind back to the previous decade. By the end of the
1820s some knowledge about the historical Buddha and of Buddhist history had emerged. After some
embarrassing missteps - for example that the Buddha was of African origin and Buddhism originated in
Africa - Orientalists had gradually pieced together that the religious practices in countries that
surrounded India - Ceylon, Nepal, Tibet, Burma, and Thailand were variations of the same teaching. This,
coupled with archaeological evidence that was being unearthed - Bodh Gaya, Sanchi, Saranath, the
caves at Ajanta - all pointed to the inference that the origin of Buddhism was Indian - the historical
Buddha lived in India.

The search begins
Late 1820s see James Prinsep ensconced as the Secretary of the Asiatic Society of Bengal in Calcutta and
at the centre of the quest to unearth India's heritage. He regularly receives news and information of
archaeological and historical interest from the entire region.

Around 1832, Prinsep receives a missive from Burma that reveals the existence of an Indian sovereign
of great significance, Theeri Dharma Thauka, also named Athauka, the grandson of a Tsanda Goutta.
According to Burmese texts this king appeared to have established or restored the religion of Gautama
upon the lands under his sway. Who was this Theeri Dharma Thauka? Available Indian texts shed little
light, for example the Indian Royal lineage listed in Raja Tharangani, a history of Kashmir, speaks of an
'Ashoka' as an important figure who expelled barbarians from the land - but not much more. Would
this be the same person? Hot on the heels of this, in 1833, comes a remarkable piece of information
from George Turnour in Kandy that clinches the identity of this monarch, showing that the “Theeri
Dharma Thauka” was the same person as “Ashoka” and that Ashoka was more than just a name in a list
of Indian kings. Turnour was signalling some early findings from his still ongoing opus, the translation
of Mahavamsa. Turnour provides Prinsep a chronology of the kings of Ceylon from the time of Buddha's
death to the last king of Kandy, Sri Wickrama Rajasingha in 1798. In here he reveals that in the reign of
the seventh king of Ceylon, Devenipeatissa, who came into the throne in 306 BCE and ruled for 40 years,
“Dharmasooka, sovereign of the many kingdoms into which Jambudwipa was divided deputed his son
Mihindoo and daughter Sanghamitta with several other principal priests to Anooraadhapoora, for the
purpose of introducing the religion of Buddha”, and much more. So Theeri Dharma Thauka of Burmese
reference was Dharmasahoka (Sri Dharma Ashoka), and certainly merited much more than a mention
in a line of Indian kings.

Deciphering the monuments
We now come to the second chapter of this story.

What was now engaging Prinsep’s mind was the mysterious pseudo-Greek script that was cropping up
from many places of the land. Inscribed in a pillar in Delhi, a pillar in the north between Nepal and Bihar,
a rock in Orissa, the opposite side of the country in Gujarat, and so on. Prinsep surmised that ‘they may

20

mark the conquests of some victorious raja’……’What they are can only be satisfactorily solved by the
discovery of the language’. Here is a sample of the script the Prinsep was challenged with.

Prinsep at first surmised that the script was an early form of Sanskrit – but around two years’ toil along
this avenue did not
take him anywhere. In
the meantime, more
instances of this script
kept popping up from
the antiquarian
endeavours of like-
minded colleagues in
India.

Source: Wikepedia

The first breakthrough occurred from several brief inscriptions cut into the pillars and stone railings at
Sanchi: Prinsep hypothesised that these were records of donations of those who funded or donated
sections of the railings. This was the inspiration that broke the code. “such and such person”,
“gift/gifted” was the anchor, and for a person of Princep’s ability this anchor was enough to decipher
the alphabet. His familiarity with Pali, primarily through correspondence with Turnour, proved
invaluable. ‘here (the Delhi pillar) we perceive at once that the language is the same as observed at
Bhisla (Sanchi), not Sanskrit, but the vernacular modification of it so fortunately preserved in the Pali
scriptures of Ceylon and Ava (Burma)’.

The beloved of the gods
Deciphering the Brahmi/Prakrit script of these inscriptions was a monumental accomplishment,
regarded to this day as one of the most significant archaeological achievements of the 19th century.

However, this in turn revealed another mystery. In the same address to the Bengal Asiatic Society of
1837 (quoted above), Prinsep described a phrase, ‘Devanam Piya piyadassi raja hevam aha’ that occurs
frequently in the inscriptions. Prinsep was able to say, based on his familiarity with Pali, that it translates
to ‘thus spake’ (hevam aha) ‘the beloved of the gods king Piyadassi’ (Devanam Piya piyadassi raja). But
who was this “Beloved of the Gods?”

The inscriptions, once transliterated into English, were very similar to Pali, and a Pali speaker would be
able to perform the translation. Unlike Turnour, Prinsep though familiar with the language is not fluent
in Pali. And Turnour, in Ceylon, is not immediately and continually available. Fortunately though,
Prinsep has access to a Pali speaker of Ceylonese origin in Calcutta, a Ratnapala, and with his help is
now able to translate these inscriptions.

Many of these inscriptions contain the phrase “thus spoke the beloved of the gods king Piyadassi”; that
he was a monarch becomes evident from a second sentence from one of the edicts that Ratnalapa is
able to translate as “in the twenty seventh year of my reign”. So this was unquestionably a king, a
mighty one at that, whose edicts span the length and breadth of India.

As these inscriptions were now translated, it became clear that this was indeed a very unusual
sovereign. These were not records of self-glorification typically found in monuments of this nature:
“here in my domain” ran one edict “no living beings are to be slaughtered or offered in sacrifice”. Others
spoke of medicines being made available to all, of wells dug and trees planted along roads, religious
tolerance, of good government based on the moral precepts of the ‘Dharma’.

21

But who was the author of these extraordinary edicts? The great ruler Piyadassi, or, as one edict had it,
Piyathissa, who regarded himself as the beloved of the gods?

Prinsep professed himself perplexed: “In all the Indian genealogical tables with which I am acquainted,
no prince can be discovered possessing this remarkable name…..”

It was Turnour who supplies what appears to be a clue in his recent translations. In Prinsep’s words “In
Mr Turnour’s epitome of history then (see ‘Search Begins’ above), we are presented once and once only
with a name of a king Devenipeatissa, as nearly identical to ours as possible”: the edicts were clearly
the work of a monarch deeply influenced by Buddhist teachings – so was it possible that the Piyadassi
or Piyatissa of the edicts, was Ceylon’s first convert to Buddhism, Devenipeatissa? But why would a king
of Ceylon erect monuments all over India? Surely the Mahavamsa would have had a great deal to say
about such an endeavour if it took place? Prinsep is not convinced. The identity of Piyadassi, the beloved
of the gods, is still left unanswered.

To recap, a historical personage, a king, Dharma Asoka was now known to have existed. It was known
too that he was a Buddhist, and that he spread Buddhism to Ceylon. The existence of a Devenipeatissa,
king of Ceylon and a contemporary of Dharma Asoka was also known. Quite separately, they knew of
the “Devanam Piya piyadassi raja” of the Edicts.

The final nudge again came from Turnour. Within weeks of Prinsep’s address to the Asiatic Society came
another communication from Turnour to Prinsep. While perusing Dipawansa, a forerunner to
Mahavamsa brought to Ceylon from Siam, he had found: “Since I came down to Colombo I have made
a most important discovery…….in running over the book cursorily I find the following lines in reference
to Dharma Asoka. Here then we find that Asoka was surnamed Piyadassi; and if you will turn to the fifth
chapter of Mahavamso, especially pages 28 and 29 you will see the circumstances under which Buddhist
edifices were erected all over India”

QED! With that simple missive the dots could be connected. The identity of ‘Devanam Piya piyadassi
raja’ was indeed Asoka, Asoka Maurya, grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, the same Dharma Ashoka
who spread Buddhism to Ceylon during Devenipeatissa’s reign (author's note: Tissa in Ceylon coronated
himself a second time, also styling himself 'Devanampiya' after his mighty 'friend' in India).

A later translation of an inscription evokes a deep personal insight: “Beloved of the gods” conquered
the Kalingas …. One hundred and fifty thousand deported and one hundred thousand killed, and many
more died. Beloved of the gods came to feel a strong inclination to the Dharma……Now Beloved of the
gods feels deep remorse for having conquered the Kalingas, and now it is conquest by the Dharma that
he considers to be the best conquest, and it has been won here on the borders, even six hundred leagues
away where the Greek king Antioch rules, beyond where four kings, Ptolemy, Antigonos…..rule, and in
the south among the Cholas, Pandyas, and as far as Tamrapani (Ceylon)……I have had this edict written
so that my children and grandchildren ……consider making conquest by Dharma only, for that bears fruit
in this world and the next.

The discoveries made in that short period in the mid-1830s did much more that to unlock the secrets of
the pillars. They gave early Indian history a solid foundation through anchoring Ashoka’s identity,
period, and his considerable works across that country; breathed life into a name and allowed the world
to see into the mind of this most unusual monarch whose influence extended far beyond the empire he
had carved out for himself.

The Asokan Lion symbol (found atop the Asokan pillar at Saranath) was adopted as the official emblem
of India in 1950. The Dharma Chakra below the lions is the model for the wheel in the flag of Inda.

22

(Source: Wikepedia)
Epilogue
As it often happens with history, things do not pan out the way we wish. Sadly, both Prinsep and Turnour
died young. Prinsep literally worked himself to death. As his responsibilities at the Mint as well as his
fame grew he was overwhelmed with work - demands on his time and attention that it was not in his
psyche to turn away. And in late 1838 his physical and mental health broke down, and he was forced
to sail, with his wife, to England. But he did not recover, passing away in England in 1840. George
Turnour's health too failed in 1841, and despite repairing to England and thence to Italy, did not recover.
He passed away in 1843, his second volume of the Mahavamsa still incomplete.
As we come to the end of this little narrative, readers, you may well think "very interesting but is this of
any significance to us Royalists or is this an article of purely general interest?” Well readers, imagine
walking into the College Hall. Now if you face the stage and look up to your right, you will see a panel
named "Turnour Prize". This is the self-same Turnour. Yes, the Turnour who was arguably the first
European seriously to study Pali, certainly the first to translate the Mahavamsa from Pali, and whose
insights helped Prinsep immeasurably in unravelling the mystery of "the Beloved of the Gods" and
anchoring Asoka’s place in Indian history, has a prize awarded at Royal College in his name.
Following Turnour's passing in 1844, a fund was raised which erected a tablet at St. Pauls Church, Kandy.
The remaining funds were used to endow the Turnour Prize at the Royal College (or Colombo Academy
as I think it then was), which was first awarded in 1846, eleven years after the birth of our school.
The history of our alma mater is intertwined with the history of our motherland in many and varied
ways - but unless we are diligent, sands of time will gradually but surely bury their memories. I hope
this article has served to sweep away the sand from one such association.

23

Turnour’s “History of Ceylon”
At right can be seen then Governor of Ceylon, Horton, who was instrumental in the founding of
Colombo Academy as a Government school. Also, below James Prinsep’s name and that of his elder
brother can be observed.
Sources
The author is indebted to the work by Charles Allen, “The Buddha and the Sahibs” (John Murray, 2002)
from which extensive references and quotes have been made.
Wikepedia – Ashokan edicts, a short biography of George Turnour
The History of Ceylon, George Turnour (digitized copy)

24

Obituary

A dear devoted friend - Vajira Fernando

By Nihal Seneviratne (Sunday Times 2 - Sunday, December 10, 2017)

News reached us in Sri Lanka that Vajira Fernando, a very dear and close friend of mine had passed away
peacefully in his sleep at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne where he had spent the last 10 days. Our
association goes back over 75 years when he and I together joined Royal Primary School at the age of
five. Thereafter, we together moved to Royal College in 1945 and were there for nine more years when
Vajira left to join the Technical College and I, the Peradeniya University. Though far apart geographically
our bonding continued.

Vajira, though he was supposed to spend most of his time at Technical College pursuing his studies, was
found far more often in the precincts and vicinity of the Law College. He had a special reason for that as
that was where he spotted his ladylove Sonia Ferdinands. She swept him over completely and Vaji had
only a single passion and determination in life – and that was to marry her. This he achieved in a few
years’ time. I had never seen a friend so much in love as he was.

As our friendship grew, our two families too grew closer. In fact, when Vajira and Sonia were living in
Nugegoda, I persuaded my cousin living next door to me in Havelock Rd. to rent that house to Vaji and
Soni. Soon our two families bonded very closely with their children Shani, Amal, Varuna and Namitha
becoming very close friends with our son and daughter – a friendship which happily continues till today.

Vajira, after his studies joined Harrison & Crossfield as a junior accounts executive and spent all his
working life there ending up as a very senior executive in their Accounts Dept. until he moved on to
greener pastures in Melbourne. His pioneering and enterprising spirit knew no bounds and soon he
joined his close friends, Devaka Rodrigo and N. Jayasingham, his colleague at Harrison’s, to set up an
Aluminium Manufacturing Plant and even ventured to Jaffna to set up a coffee plantation. He devoted
his spare time and all his energies to making these enterprises a success. Living next door to him at
Havelock Rd., I had the privilege of getting to know all his brothers and sisters who used to drop in
frequently. I am glad to say that I continue this association even today.

Vaji hailed from a most distinguished family. His father was Prof. P. B. Fernando, the renowned Professor
of Medicine in the Colombo Medical Faculty and his gracious mother, Mrs. Anula Fernando, the founder
of Anula Vidyalaya, the well-known Buddhist girls’ school in Nugegoda. His brothers were Professor P C
B Fernando, Professor of Physics in the University of Colombo, Professor Tissa Fernando, the Lincoln
Professor of Sociology in the University of Vancouver, Lincoln Fernando, a dentist and Gemunu
Fernando, who passed out as an engineer and later became an architect. His sister Padmini married Dr.
Fernando, Sarojini married the late B. J. Fernando, eminent lawyer and diplomat and the youngest we
knew as Baba married Anuruddha Polonowita, the famous cricketer.

If I may strike a personal note, I recall when as a 10-year old boy I had to be warded at Seamen’s Ward
at the Colombo General Hospital diagnosed with influenzal bronchial pneumonia with signs of
meningitis. It was Vaji’s father who so dedicatedly looked after me, my mother told me, at a time I was
very ill and even unconscious. I survived thanks to Professor P. B. Fernando’s care and attention. I recall

25

accompanying my mother to Prof. and Mrs. Fernando’s gracious Rosmead Place home armed with a
dinner set to say a big thank you.
Vaji had the last word on this subject when I told him later that his father saved my life. He responded
saying “that was the biggest mistake he ever made!” I am proud to recall that it fell to the lot of my
brother, the late Professor Nissanka Seneviratne, to deliver the inaugural Prof. P. B. Fernando Memorial
lecture in Colombo.
During our salad days as 10-year olds, Royal Primary staged Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Vaji played Minnehaha. I still cherish a 70-year old photograph of the cast where he sits in the front row
next to Lalith Jayawardena who played the lead role. Dr. Ranjith Atapattu, Major General C. H. Fernando,
Nihal Senaratne, Hema de Zoysa, Ubhaya de Silva, Geevaka de Zoysa, T. L. K. Mendis and I, all playing
much smaller roles, are also in the picture. All these friends later joined us at the Royal Alumni Group
of 1945.
Whenever I visited Australia over the last 20 years I never missed visiting Vaji and Sonia. They insisted
that I stay with them at their gracious home and talk fondly of those halcyon days. It was as recently as
October 2016 when I had the pleasure of spending a week or two with them when Vaji was being treated
for peritoneal dialysis, an illness he bravely fought and finally succumbed to. Even while receiving
treatment, he was mentally very active and insisted on taking me to a pub for lunch with his son Varuna,
who devoted all of his time to look after his father.
I really enjoyed those four or five visits over the last few years when I spent quality time with him, often
staying at his home. I will miss those long conversations and will truly miss a devoted and affectionate
friend. But the memories, I know, will last as long as I live.
At this difficult hour I offer my heartfelt sympathies to his devoted wife Sonia and his loving children
who did everything possible for him with such love and care. I will continue to remember him with love
and affection. May he attain Nibbana.

26

Obituary

Dr RUDRA RASARATNAM – RETIRED CARDIO THORACIC SURGEON

By Hugh Karunanayake

Rudi Rasaratnam was from the 1943 Group at Royal and would
have been 85 years old at the time of his passing in August this
year. He was a full-blooded Royalist – his father the late V
Rasaratnam former Surveyor General, his paternal uncle Professor
of Parasitology Dr V Sivalingam both having studied during the
Hartley era at Royal. His mother Kamala was the daughter of Dr SC
Paul, and all her brothers were educated at Royal. His sister
married Dr Viswa Navaratnam an acclaimed medical professional
and old Royalist and his only younger brother Anandan also
attended Royal.
Rudi was an Anglophile and would have easily passed off as an
Englishman if his dusky complexion would not betray him. He could not pass the compulsory Tamil paper
at the Senior Exam at Royal so was sent off to England for the completion of his secondary education
He later joined Kings College in London for his medical studies where he passed his medical exams and
qualified as a Cardiac Surgeon with honours. True to English medical tradition where surgeons do not
call themselves “Doctors” and much like his maternal uncle ATS Paul also Thoracic Surgeon of repute,
Rudi too insisted in being called “Mr” instead of “Dr”. On returning to Sri Lanka he worked as Surgeon
and taught surgery at the Ceylon Medical College where his students listened with awe to his lectures
delivered in flawless English and with a pronounced upper class British accent. Some of his erstwhile
classmates at Royal would say flippantly that Rudi had that “posh” accent even before he went to
England!
If Rudi was uncomfortable speaking in Tamil to his Tamil patients, his discourses with Sinhalese patients
often evoked amusement if not hilarity among them. He is reputed to have told a patient who he
examined for a cancerous goitre, “Heta udheyta enna. Ethakota mama bella kapala gediya
galawannang”. All that delivered in a flawless British accent! Needless to say, the unintended humour
it evoked suppressed any anxieties the patient may have harboured!
A confirmed bachelor, and a great conversationalist he enjoyed the company of his school friends the
most, attending the annual get-to-gethers of the RC 43 Group regularly. The profile photo shown here
was taken at the annual luncheon of the Royal College 1943 group in 2015.
As a bachelor Rudi had the eye of a discerning dilettante and enjoyed books, wild life, and sport in
general. He loved his trips to the nature reserves in Sri Lanka often in the company of his old school
mates like the late Reggie Poulier, Chandi Chanmugan, and Tony Anghie, and was a passionate follower
of international cricket. The numbers of the RC 1943 group have dwindled all now in their mid-eighties,
but those left behind remember Rudi with much affection. May he rest in peace.

27

Obituary

PROFESSOR RUSSELL RODRIGO - (9-11-1934 - 5-06-2017)

By Hugh Karunanayake

RGA (Russell) Rodrigo was from the 1946 group in Royal College
having joined in that year from the Royal Prep School. He soon
acquired the nickname “bacon” as ever observant classmates
noted that his lunch box always had a few slices of fried bacon
in addition to the rice and curry he brought each day for lunch.
Needless to say, that nickname stuck to him for the rest of his
school career.

Russell was a quiet achiever who got through the various
examinations in school with ease and gained admission to the
University of Ceylon where he completed his science degree
with honours in Chemistry. He thereafter won a scholarship to the University of Nottingham where he
obtained his doctorate in chemistry and returned to Ceylon in 1964 to teach at the University of Ceylon.

While at Nottingham he met Susan Mabs a fellow student who he married in 1965 in Ceylon where he
returned to lecture at the University following his studies in England. They with their first son born in
Ceylon, migrated to Canada in 1968 and settled in Waterloo where they had three more children. To
quote from the Waterloo Region Record: “Russell arrived with his wife Susan and son Simon in a
snowstorm in 1968.He came as a post-doctoral fellow in Chemistry at the University of Waterloo, and
went on to become full professor and Chair of the Department of Chemistry at the Wilfrid Laurier
University, and was its Research Professor in 1992-93.Russell was particularly proud of the many
graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who trained in his lab at the University of Waterloo for
many years. He became a proud Canadian. He learned to ski, encouraged his children to learn to skate,
and loved the Canadian landscape, spending many summers camping in the rain in Canada’s Provincial
and National Parks, always claiming that,” it’s just a passing shower”. Russell’s other great passion was
debating politics and current affairs, usually over a few glasses of wine and beer. He will be missed by
family, friends, former students and faculty members alike.”

When the 1946 Group celebrated its Diamond Jubilee in Colombo in 2006 efforts were made to contact
Russell with no success as no one knew of his migration to Canada. His obituary notice in Canada
described him as “a former student of Royal College, Colombo, Sri Lanka.”, which does seem to suggest
that he valued the learning he acquired at his alma mater. Russell’s wife predeceased him in 2014. He
leaves behind their four children Simon, Nicholas, Sally and Judith. May he rest in peace.

28

My cricketing journey, from big dreams to big matches

By Michael Wille

I have been asked to write an article about my cricketing journey from Colombo to Melbourne.

I have some reservations about how relevant my article will be. However, I trust that it will serve
essentially as an insight to the exhilarating schoolboy cricketing era of the 1950s.

I debuted for Royal in ’54 and captained in ’57.

A couple of weeks after the Royal-Thomian I migrated to Australia, and was the first Sri Lankan to play
District (Grade) cricket in Melbourne.

In the ‘50s, Sri Lanka was far from attaining test status. Sri Lanka possessed great players such
Mahadevan Sathasivam, F C de Saram, C I Gunasekera, Vernon Prins, and Mike Tissera, et al.

The only exposure to international cricket that Sri Lanka had was a one-day friendly played when the
English or Australian teams passed through Colombo on their way to Australia or England every two
years.

In Australia at that time the game was purely amateur.

Today, Sri Lanka has achieved test status and cricket is professional in both countries and the standard
of cricket is considerably higher, particularly fielding.

Maybe my article should be regarded as no more than providing some insights into specific schoolboy
cricketing encounters in the ‘50s, magnificent experiences that have now become wonderful memories
of glorious days in the sun amongst some incredibly talented and sporting cricketers.

From the time I can remember, Sri Lanka was cricket mad. It was the only game in town, with the Royal-
Thomian (RT), Josephian-Peterite and Ananda-Nalanda big matches being the centrepiece of the island’s
sporting calendar. I attended my first RT at the iconic Colombo Oval in 1947 at the age of nine, I will
never forget the experience. The flags waved by the supporters of the rival schools, the gaily coloured
dresses of the girls, the raucous singing from the Mustang tent and the beating of rabanas (the papare
band) gave the match a carnival atmosphere. Records show the Royalists won the game and a happy
nine-year-old went home dreaming that one day he would be playing in the match.

I joined Royal in 1951, the RT of that year was one of the most exciting in the history of the game and
was described as “the impossible finish of ‘51”. Royal, the underdogs snatched victory in the dying
moments of the game. The Thomians had Roger Inman, Jayalingam and P I Pieris but the cool head of
Vairavanathan (the Royal captain) saved the day for Royal. I left the ground with an even stronger desire
to play in this great match.

I came a step closer of achieving my dreams when, as a 15-year-old, I was selected to join the First XI
squad in the third term of ‘53.

Nirmalingam was captain and we had a very strong squad with ten coloursmen, including Ubaya de
Silva, “Frecko” Kreltzsheim, Ranjit de Silva and Fitzroy Crozier. The freshers were Brendon Gunaratne,
Selvi Perinpanayagam and I. Dr Barney Gunasekera was the coach, and Harold Samaraweera the cricket
master.

29

I interrupt my narrative to pay homage to two men who have had a massive influence on my cricket and
my life, namely Barney and Harold.

In Sri Lanka, we tended to idolise and hold in awe men who had outstanding sporting success. In 1930,
Barney playing in the big match, broke the record by scoring 130 runs and taking nine wickets.

This match went down in history as Barney’s Match.

Barney was not really a cricket coach in a technical sense. He was more a philosopher with an interest
in the mental aspects of the game. I cannot recall him talking to me about batting technique. One
afternoon he said to me: “Michael, just play your normal game and don’t look at the scoreboard. I
guarantee that if you do that and bat for three hours you will score a century.”

I did just that in the RT of 1957, when captain, and scored a century.

Barney was a self-effacing man with a whimsical sense of humour and he treated everyone with respect.
Barney had coached for many years and was highly respected by all of us. We would have walked over
hot coals for him.

Harold was my under-14 coach, my form master in Form 3 and now the cricket master of the First XI so
I knew him very well. Harold was an enthusiastic and happy guy who wore his heart on his sleeve. At
Royal, we were a bit elitist and because Harold had not played for one of the big schools we tended to
underestimate his advice. He was very knowledgeable on cricket and was a great help to me when I was
captain.

Harold and Barney have passed on and I often think of them with love and gratitude.

After the first practise session, Barney addressed the squad. He said he believed that to play for Royal
was an honour, he believed it was essential that we played as a team, and he believed it was important
that we played within the rules and the spirit of the game.

He said that if anyone did not believe in these three pillars than he did not want that boy in the squad.
Very inspirational stuff!

To a Royalist (or Thomian) the RT is the Holy Grail but there were some other matches that also had a
long tradition of fierce competition.

One of these was the Wesley encounter.

In 1954, Wesley had a strong side - the Fuard brothers, the Adhihetty brothers, Samsudeen, Chapman
and Neil Gallagher to name a few.

Nirma won the toss, we batted and made about 200. M. Wille ct Chapman b Fuard 1. Abu was too good
for me.

Miraculously we dismissed Wesley for 39. Unfortunately, I cannot recall who took the wickets. Nirma
enforced the follow on and the Wesleyites did better in their second dig, avoiding an innings defeat, but
leaving us with about 40 to win.

It should have been a piece of cake but Lou Adhihetty and Samsudeen had other ideas and made us
earn every run.

30

I understand that in later life Lou became heavily involved in the Christian church. But he showed no
Christian brotherly love that afternoon. Samsudeen and Lou subjected us to a barrage of bouncers, one
of which hit Rabindran in the face. Rabindran dropped like a sack of potatoes and there was blood all
over the place. I was padded up and trembling in my boots. I prayed to all the gods Christian, Hindu,
Buddhist, Muslim and a few others that I invented that I would not have to go in. My prayers were
answered as our early batsmen weathered the storm and we won a hard-fought game by a comfortable
margin.

Later on I was awarded my “colours” along with Brendon and Selvi

There is nothing more satisfying than to realise a dream one has worked very hard to achieve.

The ‘54 RT, unfortunately, like the four I played in, and ended in a draw.

Off the first ball of the match their star batsman, Tyrell Gauder, was given not out to a catch behind the
wicket. You could hear the snick at the Borella junction. It was a shocking decision. Nirma looked at the
umpire and walked back to his mark. Tyrell shrugged his shoulder as if to say, “What can I do.”

We got on with the game. No histrionics.

The other highlights were a brilliant 69 by Nirma before he ran himself out and a rearguard action from
the Thomians to save the match, including a fighting 48 from Michael Tissera giving an indication of
things to come.

After the match, the Principal of Royal and the Warden of S. Thomas’ hosted a dinner for the two teams.
We could not wait for this to be over so that, according to custom and practice, we could paint the town
red. First stop the Liberty cinema, owned by the Cader family. Zacroff was playing for S. Thomas’, and
everything, bar included, and was on the house. The teams then adjourned to the CR & FC as guests of
some reprobate old boys of both schools. Last stop, Galle Face Green for a sing-song and a few bottles
of beers. Home at about 5am.

I really believe that this bonding led to a great spirit of camaraderie between the teams and was the
start of many lifelong friendships, which was a hallmark of schoolboy team sport at that time..

Ranjit de Silva captained in ‘55. In ‘54 I had batted at No. 6, and I was hoping to talk Ranjit into letting
me bat at No. 4.

After the first practice and after Barney had made his speech he turned to what he termed
“housekeeping matters”. He called for a volunteer to open batting with Selvi.

Nobody spoke. I took a great interest in my boots and avoided eye contact with everybody. Suddenly a
voice pipes up, “Michael used to open in the under-14s”. I could have killed him. Quick as a flash, Barney
said, “Thanks Michael, that’s settled then.” So began my career as an opening batsman.

The ‘55 season started poorly as we were comprehensively beaten by St Anthony’s at Katugastota, ACM
Lafir, who was playing for Ceylon at the time, made a century,

Another superstar we encountered was Clive Inman. Clive was captain of St Peter’s and after leaving
school followed Stanley Jayasinghe to England to play as a professional in the Lancashire League.

We played Wesley at Reid Avenue. Lou was captain of Wesley and obviously had not forgiven us for
beating them the previous year. We batted first and faced some terrific bowling plus some chatter from
Lou and Samsudeen. It was hard to score runs. I called Selvi for a stupid single. “Yes, no, sorry”. Selvi
was run out by half the length of the pitch and he departed staring daggers at me.

31

I made up my mind to stay in the middle as long as possible (a) to make up for running Selvi out and, (b)
to avoid Harold who I knew would be breathing fire. Alas, the best-laid plans. A couple of overs later
Lou bowled me a full toss. I thought all my Christmases had come at once. I lifted my head, hit across
the line and the ball thudded into the stumps. When I got to the dressing room, Harold closed the door
and gave me an unmerciful tongue lashing. He was livid and said inter alia “What is the matter with
you? Not only do you run Selvi out you get out to a cock shot. You are a bloody menace.”

I didn’t say a word because he was right. I sought out Selvi, who was rightfully furious with me, and
apologised. He accepted my apology and we shook hands and moved on.

We lost the match and next week I entered college from a side entrance to avoid the Kadlai man and
Cobra man, legendary street hawkers who had, for years, peddled their wares at the gate of the school
and who were our strongest supporters and our most stringent critics.

Later in the season, I scored a century against Trinity. Centuries were pretty rare and Harold was over
the moon. He grabbed me by the shoulders and, beaming like a cat who had eaten all the cream, said:
“Well done Michael, terrific performance, I knew you could do it and, by the way, you are not really a
bloody menace.” We had a bit of a laugh.

The RT was a battle between two equally balanced sides which on a scale of 1 to 10, would probably
have been rated at 7.

When stumps were drawn, we were three wickets away from victory. There were no outstanding
performances, with Brendon doing best for us top-scoring with 48 and taking four wickets in the
Thomian first innings

The ‘57 side, captained by Fitzroy Crozier was the strongest I played in and arguably was the strongest
side in the competition that year.

We had four fourth year players, three third year players, one second year player and 4 very talented
“Freshers” in Lorenz Pereira, the Samarasinghe brothers R K and S C and Pat Poulier. We were going to
give the Thomians hell, maybe we were over-confident.

Barney announced that this year would be his last year as coach.

We breezed through the early matches hardly ever being put to the test.

Life was great, the only cloud in the sky was the political situation. SWRD Bandaranaike had resigned
from the UNP and had formed his own party and was going to challenge the government at the next
election on a policy of “Sinhala only”.

I was 17 years old and politics meant nothing to me. Although, my dad was very concerned and said
that the “Sinhala only” policy would be a disaster for Sri Lanka, and if Bandaranaike won the election he
advised me to follow my two brothers to Australia.

I had opened the batting with Selvi for two seasons. For one and a half of those seasons, I scored faster
than Selvi. That changed on the day we played St Joseph’s at Darley Rd. We won the toss and Selvi and
I walked out together, nothing appeared different except that, when we got to the middle Selvi cut and
hooked the Josephian bowlers like there was no tomorrow. He left me for dead and made 99.

The rumour in the market place was that Selvi had a secret girlfriend to whom he used to write and on
the morning of the game he had a received a “Dear Selvi” letter and decided to take his anger out on
the Josephian bowlers.

32

We played Nalanda the following week. We batted second and with Selvi still in a swashbuckling mood
we put on over 50 for the first wicket, with Selvi scoring most of the runs.

I went home, had a shower, and went to give my Dad a report on the day’s play. While I was talking to
him he told me he was not feeling well and, to cut the long story short, he died within the next 48 hours.
His death was a devastating blow as I loved him very much. The immediate result was that the family
decided to migrate to Australia as soon as possible as Bandaranaike had won the election.

About three days after my Dad’s funeral, Dudley de Silva, the Principal of Royal asked for an
appointment to meet my Mum. He said that he was aware of our plans to migrate and asked if we would
postpone them as he wanted me to captain in ‘57.

I declined the offer because I was grieving for my father and wanted to make a fresh start in Australia
as soon as possible. Also, I never had any aspirations to captain Royal. When my older brother Peter
heard of my refusal he applied immense emotional pressure, saying that my Dad would have been proud
to see me captain. It was emotional blackmail and I gave in after a week.

In the interim, Selvi had completed a century against Nalanda.

I did not play in the next game which was against St Peter’s but was not missed as Fitzroy, who opened
with Selvi, shared a partnership of over 200, both getting centuries.

We than travelled to Kandy to play Trinity which had a number of good players, including Nimal
Maralande and Sendi Ettipola. It was the same old story. Selvi and I put on over a 100. I made 42 and
Selvi made another century.

I also recall that Kadlai and Cobra travelled with the team in our pre-booked third class compartment.
They had sacrificed a minimum of two days’ income to support the team. What loyalty!

After the last practice session before the RT we sat on the grass, Barney and Harold included, and
discussed tactics. Jothi, who Barney was very fond of, had hardly scored a run all season. Barney said: “I
think this will be Jothi’s match.” We were all certain that Barney had said this just to boost Jothi’s
confidence.

As it turned out it was not Jothi’s match but he certainly saved us from defeat.

I rated us at 10 and the Thomians at 8.

The Thomians were captained by Dan Piachaud who later played for Ceylon and the MCC. We were hot
favourites.

We batted first and the much-vaunted top order failed and we slumped to 103/6. Jothi, batting with the
four freshers, saved the day and we went on to make 289. The Thomians replied with 288/9, Ronny Reid
breaking the record with 158. It was truly a great knock but of course the match fizzled out to a tame
draw.

That year, for the first time, one of the daily papers announced it would run a competition to determine
the “Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year”. The winner was to be determined by votes cast by the readers.
Selvi should have won the competition, but unfortunately, he did not because voting was left to the
readers. The result embarrassed the organisers to the extent that winners were thereafter selected by
a panel.

In ’57 the boot was on the other foot.

33

We had lost a number of good and experienced players. We had myself who was playing in my fourth
year and four other players, Lorenz Pereira, the Samarasinghe brothers and Pat Poulier who were
playing in their second year.

The Thomians had a very strong batting line-up and the fastest bowler in the competition, Denis
Ferdinands.

At the start of the season I rated us at 6 and the Thomians at 9

In the late ‘40s a weak South African side had drawn a Test series against the then mighty Australians
by great fielding and a spinner named Hugh Tayfield. To win you need to get an edge on your opponent.
I decided that we should take a leaf out of the South African book and be the best fielding side in the
competition.

I have always believed that if you want to succeed you have to practise meaningfully and hard.

As Percy Cerutty, the legendary Australian athletics coach said: “To train without pain is to train without
gain.”

We started practising in the August school holidays which was about a month earlier than usual and we
certainly practised hard.

I believe that you should practise as you would play in a match. You are always under pressure when
you play in a match. To create a pressure situation at practice it was a rule that any player who dropped
a catch at fielding practice would have to run two laps of the ground

These draconian methods caused my friend Mahinda Wijesinghe to give me the unflattering sobriquet
of “Hitler”. He also said that the only reason that I opened the bowling was because I was captain.

I note that he made these “libellous” comments only after he was awarded his colours!

If we were to succeed the “colours” players, Lorenz Pereira, the Samarasinghe brothers and I, would
have to step up to the plate.

It was also necessary for talented freshers such as Michael Dias, Ben Eliathamby and T Perayerawar to
punch above their weight. In short, the requirements were easy to understand. “Maximum performance
at all times.

I also believe that confidence is a major part of achieving success.

For an inexperienced side like ours avoiding defeat is as important as winning the occasional game. I
believe the rearguard actions we fought against St Anthony’s, Ananda and St Benedict’s were major
factors in our success.

You dodge a bullet and then you win one and then you say to yourself, “I can do this.”

However it was not all hard work and no play. After practice the boys who lived in Bambalapitiya,
Wellawatte and Dehiwela would cycle home and about once a week stop at Saraswathi Lodge for
thosais.

For 50 cents, you could purchase eight thosais, a cup of tea and a Three Roses cigarette. This was my
usual fare.

34

I was holding forth one day saying that it was not possible to eat ten thosias. Pat Poulier took up the
challenge. The bet was that if he ate ten thosais I would pay for his meal, if he failed he would have to
pay for mine.

So, one evening the game was on.

Pat effortlessly consumed ten thosais and, with a smirk on his face, said, “Skipper I am feeling a bit
peckish can you buy me a few ulundu vadais?”.

I’m not going to write about all the games we played but focus on the key games against Ananda and St
Benedict’s.

We played a strong Ananda side containing Sonny Yatawara, Anuruddha Polonowita and Daya
Amerasinghe early in the season.

There was no doubt that we were the underdogs and we were struggling for most of the match. In the
fourth innings Ananda had to get 73 runs in 35 minutes to win, a comparatively easy task. They were
cruising at 47/3 when I brought on Mahinda and with his first four deliveries he took a double hat-trick.
Ananda plunged to 47/7 and were in panic mode.

I than had a brain fade. I took Mahinda off and brought on Modi Ismail, a slow leg-spin bowler. What an
idiot. Taking Mahinda off was bad enough, why didn’t I bring on Sahabandu?

I still have nightmares over that decision. Ananda escaped with a draw and thanks to Mahinda we
dodged a bullet.

Mahinda told me many years later that, when going off the field, Harold grabbed him and, finding a ten
rupee note, (a lot of money in those days) stuck it in Mahinda’s hand and said, “Here, buy a bottle of
arrack but don’t drink it all on you own.”

Harold never said a word to me about my poor decision in taking Mahinda off.

The match against St Benedict’s was played on matting at Kotahena. They had a strong side that included
Neville Casie Chetty, Lionel Fernando and Cecil Waidyaratne. They batted first and gave us a leather
hunt. I think they made well over 300 in record time. With a score like that we had no option but to play
for a draw. We defended stoutly and not one player from No. 1 to 11 gave his wicket away. We must
have survived for at least seven hours much to the chagrin of the Benedictine players and their noisy
supporters who wanted to see Royal thrashed.

We gradually built up to, arguably, the best fielding side in the competition with Lorenz Pereira, Ben
Eliathamby and Pera being outstanding.

We also developed a very good spin attack with Lorenz and Mahinda. One right-arm off-spin and the
other left-arm leg-spin, and both were very accurate.

Every player at some time or other had played a vital role in saving or winning a match.

Going into the big match we were undefeated and had won three matches.

I now rated us at about 7.5 and the Thomians at 9 and we went to the Oval quietly confident.

Michela Tissera, my opposite number, won the toss. I said: “Lucky bastard.” He laughed, picked up the
coin and said: “We’ll bat.” We shook hands and wished each other good luck.

35

The Thomians made 259, with Ronny Reid making 65 and Michael 48.

As usual, Lorenz and Mahinda carried our bowling - Lorenz taking five wickets and Mahinda four. I don’t
remember us dropping a catch.

The beauty of cricket is the ability to formulate a plan and execute it.

When Michael was in the 40s, I noted that Lorenz had done a lot of bowling. I wanted him to have a
rest. When I discussed this with him he was initially happy to come off. However, when I told him that I
intended to bring Pera on he said: “No, Michael is in his 40s and has not scored a 50 yet. He will be
anxious to get his half century. Let me bowl and if he gets to 50 I will take a rest.”

Michael was a very good player of the cover drive but sometimes did not get his foot to the pitch of the
ball. We set Pera at cover and Lorenz bowled wide of his off-stump. Mahinda maintained the pressure
from the other end. Eventually, Michael lost patience and chased a wide delivery from Lorenz. As we
had hoped, he did not quite get his foot to the pitch of the ball and hit a catch to Pera.

It was great cricket by Lorenz.

I saw Denis Ferdinands, who was very fast, as the main threat. If he got a couple of early wickets and
got his tail up, he could go right through us. I tried to keep him away from the “freshers”. In ’56 I tried
to hook him and he nearly broke my forearm so I had decided that I would duck under the many
bouncers that he bowled. Anyway, we held him off and when Lorenz and I put on 117 for the fifth
wicket the chance of a Thomian victory disappeared.

From the point of view of concentration, my century was the best innings I played. I watched every ball
and did not look at the scoreboard until I reached my century. Ronnie got another 65 in their second
dig. He was the outstanding batsman in the competition that year and rightfully won the Schoolboy
Cricketer of the Year award.

The match also produced another future star in M.L Idroos, a very good young leg-spinner.

We had the usual bonding on the Galle Face Green and then in a couple of weeks I said a sad farewell
to my friends and got on an airplane bound for Australia.

In Melbourne that first year, I was studying for my Matriculation exams and attended a small “cram
school” located in the City.

Lindsay Hassett, the man who succeeded Bradman as Australian captain, owned a sports store in the
city and one lunch time I decided to go to his shop in case the great man was in residence. Hassett was
not there but I saw Neil Harvey, at that time arguably the best batsman in the world, selling a pair of
cricket boots to a customer. I said to myself, “If this guy has to sell shoes to make a living there has to
be an easier way to make a quid.” I decided to study harder.

Cricket in Australia at that time was an amateur sport, the prize being a place in the Test team and the
winning of a “Baggy Green”, which was the dream of Aussie youngsters.

The first cultural shock I received was to experience the intensity in which the game was played. In Sri
Lanka we played for fun, In Australia we played for sheep stations. There was no sledging in the late
‘50s and not much chatter, just immense pressure, you earned every run.

In Sri Lanka, reputations overawed us. I remember being picked for the Combined Schools team and
playing against a guy called Dick Arenhold who was a fast bowler and a Cambridge Blue. I worried about
the encounter for days before the match.

36

The Aussies were no respecters of reputations

I loved the way the Aussies played the game. When I made a good score, it gave me great satisfaction.
The Aussies were great competitors and played to win. We fought like hell on the field but after the
match we sat in the dressing room drinking beer and were the best of friends.

When I left Sri Lanka, Barney wished me good luck and expressed the view that he wanted to see me
play for Victoria. Well, I didn’t play for Victoria and will never know if I was good enough. I do know this
though. Whether it was seeing Neil Harvey selling shoes or whether playing for Victoria was not one of
my dreams, I lacked the passion to put in the hard yards necessary to play at the next level.

When I look back on my cricketing career, the sweetest memories are those of my days playing for
Royal. Sri Lankan schoolboy cricket was very strong and played in the best of spirits. A show of any
dissent or hooliganism could mean severe disciplinary imposition, possibly in cases with sacking.

The Royal Thomian was the icing on the cake. Anybody who played in that match could consider
themselves privileged and blessed, as would other cricketers who played in the Josephian-Peterite or
Ananda-Nalanda Ananda, or Trinity-Antonian.

The history and tradition of the big match created a spirit of its own. You were conscious you were
walking in the footsteps of the great players who had gone before you and participating in a historic
event. You must do nothing to tarnish the reputation of the college, you were representing or the Game
itself.

It is very true.

“The game is greater than the players of the game. The ship is greater than the crew.”

RE- ENACTING (AUCKLAND 2017) THE LEGANDARY TRY SCORED IN
THE ROYAL VS TRINITY RUGBY GAME (SRI LANKA 1958)

Lorenz Pereira
(receiving the
ball on right)
was at
Cambridge
University from
1961 to 1964
and played a
few games of
cricket for
Cambridge
under Mike
Brearley
(subsequent
England Cricket
Captain)

37

Lal Senaratne, the Royal
College Left Winger passing
to Lorenz Pereira, the Royal
College Right Winger who
scored by the Left Corner
Flag.

The following is an extract
from the 50th Royal Bradby
Shield Souvenir of 1994 by
Mr M T Thambapillai, the
Royal Rugby Master:

“I saw the ball going from

Pothuhera to Maurice Anghie

and right down the three-

quarter line, Samaratunga,

Rankine and left winger Lal

Senatratne. It was a

lightening movement, each

player drawing his opposite

number, and to my

amazement I saw Lorenz

Pereira on the outside of

Senaratne, taking a neat pass

and flash across to touch

down absolutely unmarked.

It was one of those flashes of

LORENZ & LAL (Auckland 2017) Photo: Courtesy NOI genius in the twinkling of an
eye. Never have I in all my life

seen such a try scored in a match in Ceylon or any part of the world; The right Wing Three Quarter

throwing the ball in a line out and flashing across to join the movement and score a try”.

Note:

• It was an era where the wingers threw the ball in the line outs.
• The pictures of both of them are in Auckland, New Zealand, where Lorenz joined Lal to watch

the drawn Final Test between the All Blacks and the Lions.
• Lorenz was the first Sri Lankan to play for and Captain the exclusive (all white) CH & FC and

subsequently Sri Lanka.
• The Royal vs Trinity Rugby Match (named The Bradby after a British Principal) commenced in

1920 and is an annual fixture, with one game being played in Colombo and the other in Kandy
each year, attracting over 25,000 spectators.

38

OLD BOY’S CHOICE OF SCHOOLS

SOME NOTES ON ROYALIST SONS OF THOMIAN FATHERS
By Rajakeeya

The perennial debate that sparks off when old Royalists and old Thomians meet, often centre round the
claim over which of the two schools had a better record in producing successful men. There is no doubt
that both schools have produced men of eminence whether it be national leaders, academics,
professionals, sportsmen, businessmen or those immersed in the fine arts. One unfailing test of the
claim of superiority is to ascertain what eminent old boys themselves look for, when choosing an
educational institution for their own sons.

Let’s start with national leaders. The first Prime Minister DS Senanayake a man to whom a lot of “horse
sense” has been attributed, had both his sons Dudley and Robert educated at his old school St Thomas’.
DS studied only up to the 7th standard at STC and was known as “Kalay John”. He had two elder brothers
nicknamed “Colombo John” and “London John”. London John was none other than FR Senanayake the
only one of the three brothers to receive a tertiary education. He was also the only one of the three
brothers to study at Royal College. That must have had a great impact on him as all his sons RG (Richard
Gotabaya) CU (Upali) and FT (Tissa) were admitted to Royal where they had their entire secondary
education. SWRD Bandaranaike is often referred to as the most brilliant product of St Thomas’ although
he attended school at St Thomas’ only for a couple of years! He was mostly tutored at home by a
resident tutor from Britain - AC Radford employed by SWRD’s father. He however must have
appreciated the value of an education at Royal in preference to St Thomas’, as his only son Anura
received his education there. Premadasa of course staked his claim, which according to his detractors
was a mythical education he was supposed to have received at St Joseph’s! He even built some edifice
there at enormous cost, so the school would have been more than pleased to admitting his son.
However, in his wisdom he chose to educate his only son at Royal. GG Ponnambalam who had part of
his education at St Joseph’s would not trust the old school to educate his son Kumar who attended Royal
right through from Prep School through College until he left to follow his father’s career. There was also
Sir Oliver Goonetilleke arguably the most distinguished old boy of Wesley College who chose to send
his only son Ernie to Royal. Mahinda Rajapakse would have dearly loved to send his sons to Royal as he
himself would have preferred for his own education, to follow in the footsteps of his cousin George
Rajapakse who captained the cricket first eleven and scored twin centuries in the encounter with Trinity.
The area rule imposed by Royal came in his way and he had to make do with an education at Thurstan
College, while choosing St Thomas’ for the education of his sons. President Sirisena has a son named
Daham who attracted some notoriety at the Royal-Thomian Match of 2016 by barging uninvited to the
VIP enclosure and earning the wrath of old boys of both schools. He was wearing the colours of Royal
but I do not really know whether he received his education there at any time.

Now let’s get to the Board of Governors of St Thomas’ which is a group of about 8 people including the
Warden, representative of the Diocese of the Anglican Church which runs the school, and a few loyal
old boys. For many years they were Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranaike, Sir James Obeysekere, Mr CEA Dias,
and Dr GH de Saram. Apart from Sir Solomon (who admitted his son SWRD to St Thomas’), all the other
members of the Board of Governors of St Thomas’ sent their sons to Royal, obviously knowing that their

39

progeny could receive a better education there! Sir James Obeysekere for instance, sent his only son JP
Obeysekere to Royal, JPO later attended Cambridge University after which he flew to Ceylon in his own
aircraft! Dr GH de Saram (who played for St Thomas’ in the famous 9 run match), sent his son GSW de
Saram (later Prof of Forensic Medicine) to Royal where he was a tremendous asset to his old school,
always officiating at Athletics meets etc. Prof GSW sent all his sons, Willie, Christopher, John and Allan
to Royal and all had remarkable careers later. CEA Dias educated his son Stanley at Royal, and grandson
Michael captained Royal at cricket. So, one could surmise that even the Board of Governors of St
Thomas’ had an unconcealed admiration and respect for the education provided by Royal, so much so
that their own progeny were educated there in preference to St Thomas’.

Now to come to some other ‘key’ old boys of S Thomas. Bradman Weerakoon is one of the few old
Thomians who entered the coveted Ceylon Civil Service and is often spruiked by Thomians as the perfect
embodiment of the phrase “men sana in corpora sano” (a healthy mind in a healthy body), as he
captained the school cricket team in addition to his attainments in public service. He certainly must be
having a “healthy” mind as he didn’t trust his old school when he had to educate his son Asela, who was
admitted to Royal, and that speaks volumes for the father’s sense of judgment as Asela turned out to
be a scholar in his own right and is a successful career diplomat. Senator M Tiruchelvam was an old
Thomian who saw the merit of education in Royal and had both sons including the late Neelan, have
their education at Royal. Neelan and his brother Rajendra would both have enjoyed their learning at
Royal, their sons too being educated there. Then we have Sri Lanka’s foremost partition lawyer SJV
Chelvanayakam an old Thomian who took his penchant for partitioning to a national level by espousing
federalism! He in his wisdom had all of his sons including Chandrahasan and Vaseeharan educated at
Royal. Another lawyer and former Supreme Court Judge ARH Canekeratne whose portrait adorned the
pages of the Centenary Number of the Thomian Magazine, would have assumed that his sons should
get a better education than he did, and had both his sons Nihal, and Ranjan educated at Royal. Ranjan’s
son Kris is an international corporate high flyer being the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Virtusa - a
Nasdaq quoted company in Silicon Valley with an asset register worth over US$1 Billion, reinforcing the
old saying “quality begets quality”. Dr SC Paul distinguished surgeon, had his early education in a school
in Jaffna, and then moved to Colombo where he studied for a couple of years each at Wesley College
and St Thomas’ College Mutwal. He married the daughter of Dr Aserappah an old Royalist, and had
several children including two surgeons Dr Milroy Paul, and Dr ATS Paul, and another son a well-known
Civil Servant who took the name Paul Marcus Jeyarajan. Dr SC Paul in his wisdom chose to educate all
of his sons at Royal, and the practice has continued to the next generation as well. We also had the
famous Lingam brothers - Dr C Panchalingam, C. Nagalingam, C. Thiagalingam, C Suntheralingam, and
Dr C Amirthalingam. They were all educated at St Josephs, College, Maradana, but all of them without
exception had their sons educated at Royal, many of the sons even surpassing the achievements of their
illustrious fathers.

Now to get to a matter which will really raise the regard Thomians should have for Royal. When Royal
College was founded as the Colombo Academy in 1835, it was set up deliberately as a secular institution
as many families in Colombo wanted their children to be raised in a non-religious environment. Despite
the fact that both Marsh and Boake the first Principals of Royal were “men of the cloth”, education in
the school was not coloured by any spiritual doctrine thus leaving students to be capable of independent
thought and vision. That philosophy seemed to have paid rich dividends. The leading ecclesiastics in the
country all were educated at the secular school called Royal College. Old Royalists who held high church

40

office were Archbishop Lakdasa de Mel, Bishop Lakshman Wickremesinghe, Bishop Harold de Soysa (the
first Ceylonese Bishop of Colombo), Bishop Cyril Abeynaike, Bishop Kenneth Fernando, Canon Beven,
and recently Bishop Duleep de Chickera and Archbishop Roger Herft - Archbishop of Perth, among a
host of others too numerous to mention. The list goes on and on but there are no names that come to
mind from St Thomas’! Bishop Lakdasa de Mel was the last Metropolitan Bishop of India, Pakistan,
Burma, and Ceylon. A man well known for his learning and for bringing in elements of indigenous culture
into the Church and its practices, was also known for his irrepressible sense of humour. When he
received an invitation to preside at the Annual Prize Giving of St Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, ( a
school administered by his Diocese) he feigned ignorance of the existence of the school and inquired
of his Assistant ”Isn’t that the school located somewhere in the southern suburbs of Colombo near a
swimming bath?”. The assistant just exploded into laughter!
The well-known Buddhist prelate Rev Kassappa of Vajirarama is a great example of Royal’s contribution
to the cause of Buddhism, and recently retired Civil Servant and old Royalist Olcott Gunasekere followed
his example and is now resident in Vajirarama as Ven Vajiraramavasi Nanaseeha Thero.
Someone recently wrote about the manner in which Royal College helped in the foundation of St
Thomas’ in 1851. Let me add to that by referring to the munificence of an old Royalist Leslie WF de
Saram who donated his 35-acre orchard at Gurutalawa to St Thomas’ which helped that school establish
its Gurutalawa branch there. I wonder whether any old Thomian could match his magnanimity in helping
his old school, leave alone a rival school.
When I entered Royal College from Royal Prep School, my Form Master greeted new entrants with warm
words of welcome followed by an exhortation to sons of old Royalists among the new entrants to raise
their hands, (for identification) and almost half the class did so. After all it is the school “where our
fathers learnt their way before us”. The Government’s 2-mile radius rule introduced later, kept out
many sons of old Royalists from educating their children in the “school of their fathers”. Thanks to
President JR Jayewardene however, there has been some equity restored for old boys, fifty percent of
vacancies in grade 1 being reserved for sons of old boys, a reservation which we hope will continue.
Educational tradition needs continuity and we hope that the rule prevails to this day. FLOREAT!

41

Four generations of Royalists from the same family

By Shiran Guneratne

Four generations of Royalists came from the same family. The first to attend Royal College was Michael
Guneratne. The Challenge Trophy for the Royal – Thomian rugby encounter was donated in his memory
by his sons and daughters. He was a businessman who lived in Kalutara and owned a distillery.
Dharmasiri Guneratne was the second Royalist from this family. He was awarded a Colombo Plan
scholarship and studied at the Australian National University in Canberra. He was the Deputy Director
in the Department of Census and Statistics in Sri Lanka and later served in the United Nations (ESCAP)
in Bangkok.
Shiran Guneratne was the third generation to go to Royal College. He captained 1st XI hockey team at
Royal in 1967. He was a planter who later became a Director of the John Keels Plantation Company and
Chief Executive Officer at Mackwoods plantations. He was also the Chairman of the Rubber Research
Board of Sri Lanka. He now lives in Canberra.
Romesh Guneratne was the fourth generation of the family to attend Royal. After finishing his tertiary
and professional studies in Canberra he joined the Australian Public Service. He was an Assistant
Director at the Department of Finance in Canberra and is currently a Director at the Commonwealth
Government Department of Human Services.

42

Inter Batch Six-a-side Cricket Tournament

By Shanka Gunawardene

The much-anticipated inter-batch six a side Indoor
cricket tournament conducted by RCOBAA was played
out for the 4th successive time at the Icon Indoor arena
in Melbourne Victoria on 15th Oct 2017. 12 teams
varying from the batch of 1993 to the batch of 2007
battled it out in a day of camaraderie, fun and keen
competition. Some exciting and keenly contested
games were witnessed. As always high spirit of
sportsmanship and the Royal spirit of having a good
time were evident throughout the day.
Due to the increased demand for an Over 40’s
competition this time an over 40’s championship was
played concurrently with the main competition. In the
open competition the Batch of 2000 named “Munta
Loose” faced the Batch of 2001 the “Mahasona
Balakaya” for the third time running. The boys from
“Munta Loose" held their nerve to win the Trophy in a
very tight finish becoming the Champs for the 3rd
consecutive year. In the Over 40’s the Batch of 1993, the
‘Suicide Squad” surprised even themselves by winning
through to the finals to meet the much fancied”
Achchikade Champions” the Batch of 1994 to take the
newly minted Trophy home.
The keenness and enthusiasm shown at this event by
members and players who keep coming back to this
very popular event is very encouraging to the organizers and to the RCOBAA committee. This year it was
also the Pre-cursor to our ‘Royal Big Bash’ the Inter School OBA’s Indoor competition which was
organized by RCOBAA with the participation of teams from OBA’s of 10 Schools based in Melbourne.

43

Membership list as at 01.01.2018

1. Abdullah Mahmud 43. Dick Siebel 89. Lakmal Abeyasekera
2. Abey Udugama 44. Dilan De Silva 90. Lalin Perera
3. ,Ajith Jayawardne 45. Dilan Nanayakkara 91. Lilith De Silva
4. Akila Geethal 46. Dinesh Chelvathurai 92. Lochana Premarathna
5. Akila Weerasinghe 47. Dinesh Perera 93. Madhava Wijayaratne
6. Akvan Gajanayake 48. Dinesh Rahim 94. Madhawa
7. Alexander Lokuge (Don) 49. Dr. Channa Wijesinghe
8. Anil Amarasekara 50. Dulanjaya Wijeratne Muthukumarana
9. Anil Amunugama 51. Eardley Lieverz 95. Maduka Abeykoon
10. Aslam Assen 52. Feisul Uduman 96. Madushe Jayawickrema
11. Athula Ratnayaka 53. Fred Kreltzheim 97. Mahen Ellawela
12. Aubrey VanCuylenburg 54. Fred Perera 98. Mahinda Wickramasuriya
13. Aynkaran Sivaratnam 55. Ganan Nagaratnam 99. Malindra Fernando
14. Bevill Janz 56. Gehan Perera 100. Maliq Deane
15. Brian Lieversz 57. George Fernando 101. Malith Fernando
16. Bryan Wickham 58. Gishan Bamunsinghe 102. Malitha Siriwardena
17. Bryan Wickremeratne 59. Harris Kumarage 103. Mangala Jayawardene
18. Buddhimith 60. Harsha Aluthge 104. Manoj Aluthwatta
61. Harsha Maligaspe 105. Maurice Anghie
Wickramasinghe 62. Harsha Perera 106. Michael Kreltszheim
19. Chaman Ipalawatta 63. Harsha Wijesinghe 107. Michael La'Brooy
20. Chamath Fernando 64. Hasalaka Edirisinghe 108. Mohamed Barry
21. Chameera Buddhadasa 65. Hasantha Jasinarachchi 109. Mohan Perera
22. Chaminda Sunnadeniya 66. Heman Abeysinghe 110. Mohan Pillai
23. Chamith Perera 67. Hemanth Cooray 111. Moshane Coswatte
24. Chandana Gangodagama 68. Hildon Bevan 112. Murthaza Mawlana
25. Channa Perera 69. Hiran Muttiah 113. Nadie Gamalath
26. Charith Jayatillake 70. Hugh Karunanayake 114. Nadun Thellamurege
27. Chathura Liyanagama 71. Indrajith Wijegunaratne 115. Namal Aruna Fernando
28. Chethiya Dissanayake 72. Iqram Mohinadeen 116. Namal Fernanado
29. Chinthaka Wijesuriya 73. Ishan Jinadasa 117. Nandika Dias
30. Chinthana Wijeweera 74. Ishan Sampath 118. Navoda Ganegoda
31. Chris Niranjan 75. Isuru Kariyawasam 119. Nigel De Kretser
76. Jafir Dawood 120. Nihal Kodituwakku
Tisseverasinghe 77. Jahanghir Abdul Majeed 121. Nihal. M. D. de Run
32. Clarence Koch 78. Janaka Silva 122. Nilupa Suresh
33. Damith 79. Janek Ratnatunga 123. Niroshan Hewakoparage
80. Jayalath Pushpakumara 124. Niroshan Serasinghe
Abeygunawardene 81. Jayantha (Jay) Adihetty 125. Nithy Chellapah
34. Damitha De Lanerolle 82. Jimmy Billimoria 126. P.H.(Piloo) Billimoria
35. Dammica Wickramaratne 83. Jumaan Sheriff 127. Pasan Balasinghe
36. Darin Mallawarachi 84. Kalhara Samarasinghe 128. Pasan Gunasekara
37. Darrell Lieversz 85. Kingsley Rajasingham 129. Pasindu Yasantha
38. David Kreltszheim 86. Kumara Karawita 130. Peshan Kurukulasuriya
39. Devindra Weerasooriya 87. Kusal Fernando 131. Piloo Rustomjee
40. Dhamindra 88. Lakindu Manawasinghe 132. Piyal Gunaratne
133. Prasad Herath
Kahaduwarachchi (Dimi)
41. Dhammika Perera
42. Dhilharan Sivaratnam

44

134. Pushpika Gamage 160. Shanka Gunawardana 187. Yasantha Kalupahana
135. Rad Rasaratnam 161. Shiran DeSilva 188. Yogi Theveraj
136. Ranga Perera 162. Shyam Sideek 189. Yohan Kumarage
137. Ransi Fernando 163. Soba Ranasinghe 190. Anghie Maurice
138. Ravi Wickramasinghe 164. Sonny De Silva 191. Suresh John Ross
139. Reggie de Silva (Cyril) 165. Stuart Roland 192. AJith Abeywardene
140. Rivindu Liyanage 166. Sudath Gunatilake 193. Nihal Seneviratne Epa
141. Rohan Wimalasuriya 167. Sujan Jayasiriwardane 194. Timothy Wijesooriya
142. Roshan Weerawardane 168. Sujeevan Panagoda 195. Dhilshad Sideek
143. Ruchira Withana 169. Sumedha Ranasinghe 196. Nadaraja Canagasabai
144. Sahan Basnayake 170. Sunil De Silva 197. Pasan Manawadu
145. Sajee Bahar 171. Surane Gunesekara 198. Sujith Satkunam
146. Sajith Mendis 172. Susil Ranasinghe 199. Deepal Perera
147. Sajitha Amarasinghe 173. Tharin Peiris 200. Gnanathikkam
148. Saman Edirisinghe 174. Tharun Delpachithra
149. Saman Fernando 175. Thissa Don Galagedera Amirthanathan
150. Samath Wijeyasinghe 176. Tony Andree Jansz 201. Sam Lawton
151. Sampath Edirimuni 177. Tony Anghie 202. Isuru Alagiayawanna
152. Sandy (Ranoir) 178. Trevor Jansz 203. Amal Cooray
179. Uchin Alwis 204. Rajeev Peiris
Jesudhason 180. Upul Kularatne 205. Romesh Gunaratne
153. Sanjaya Ranaweera 181. Varuna Senaratne 206. Saman Nanda
154. Sanjeewa Udumalagala 182. Venura Welagedera
155. Sarasi Herath 183. Viboda Sampath Ranasinghe
156. Sarath Mendis 184. Vijitha Illukpitiya 207. Lorenz Pereira
157. Sasanka Dharmasena 185. Viraj Dayarathne
158. Shamendra Kannagara 186. Wangisa Jayatilake 208. Ranjan Muttiah
159. Shanaka Perera 209. Channa Gunawardena

RCOBAA Committee

Vice Patrons: Fred Kreltszheim Nihal De Run

Indrajith Wijegunaratne : President General Committee:

Dhammika Perera : Vice President Akvan Gajanayake

Soba Ranasinghe : Vice President Aslam Assen

Dinesh Perera : Secretary Athula Ratnayake

Charith Jayathilake : Treasurer Dinesh Rahim

Aynkaran Sivaratnam : Immediate George Fernando
Past President Lochana Premarathna
Shanaka Perera
Ranga Perera : Membership Secretary Shyam Sideek

Shanka Gunawardane: Web Master

Venura Welagedara

Shyam Sideek

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