The History of Ceylon Tea (HOCT) website, an ambitious industry service project launched by Dilmah Tea more than two years ago, will enter a new phase following an extensive digitised reproduction of historical books, almanacs and reports which are viewable online without charge.

With more than 100,000 pages documenting the creation of Ceylon Tea since the mid 1800s, already reproduced, the HOCT is one of the largest information sites in the world and the next phase will see the website enter an interactive stage with an invitation to past and present tea planters and others connected to the tea industry to actively participate and take advantage of what the website has to offer.

Sporting a new look, the HOCT has included a “Planters Register”, a database that will enable planters to provide their planting history, which will not only act as an indelible record of their own contribution to this great industry, but also serve as a contact point for renewing acquaintances with the numerous ex-planters, many of whom are now domiciled overseas. A “Forum Message Board” is one the functionalities of the site that will assist in making this a central meeting place for tea men from around the world.

While the Forum Message Board will also offer planters a channel to share their anecdotal experiences with others, those who wish to present more formal missives will have their contributions presented as feature articles.

With a significant volume of material already digitised, HOCT will continue to exhaustively research and identify material for inclusion on its website which will help preserve the industry’s rich history for generations to come. Institutions such as planters clubs, which played a fundamental role in the social structure and the expansion of the plantations and its community, are but an example of where HOCT will endeavour to source material from.

Another added feature is the ‘Photo Album’, and as the name suggests, is a section for digitised images, both, of a historical and contemporary nature, which in its own right represents an important historical facet of the industry that is worthy of preservation.

The History of Ceylon Tea website is a landmark project and is the first and only one of its kind in the tea industry and has been hailed by industry insiders as a truly significant contribution to the tea industry.

The story began with one man's desire to give something back to an industry that has given him so much. That 'something' is the story of one of the world's greatest industries - Ceylon Tea. The English, who gave Sri Lanka her tea industry, were masters of recording history, although sadly, nationalisation in the 1970s and the crisis the industry faces, have made preservation of its history almost impossible.

Lack of funds for preserving the diminishing collection of literature devoted to Ceylon Tea, has led to fragmentation and loss of many important and irreplaceable volumes.

In response, Merrill J. Fernando, Founder of Dilmah partnered with the Planters' Association to initiate the 'History of Ceylon Tea Project'. As much a tribute to the courage of the pioneers of Ceylon Tea as a reminder to future generations of the origins of an industry that made Sri Lanka famous, the project has thus far involved digitally archiving every page of the Planters' Association library.

When the project was first launched Merrill J. Fernando, Founder and Chairman of Dilmah said, 'Dilmah gained consumer recognition globally on the strength of the finest Ceylon Tea, and it is only logical therefore that Dilmah should reciprocate, by giving future generations of Sri Lankans the opportunity to study and understand the heritage of one of the world's greatest plantation industries.'

Sri Lanka's Tea Industry is today the lifeblood of this nation and Sri Lanka is best known in many countries for 'Ceylon Tea'. Few today understand that tea was introduced in then Ceylon at very great cost. From the ruins of a devastated coffee industry, men of dedication and courage built an industry that made Ceylon the home of the world's finest tea. The development of the tea industry also necessitated the establishment of infrastructure in the form of roads, railways and utilities that are in service today.

For their courage, many of the pioneers often paid with their lives as they fought disease, wild animals and inhospitable terrain.

The History of Ceylon Tea website welcomes any related content that will contribute to preserving the industry’s history. However, as this is an industry service project, no remuneration can be offered for any material accepted.