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During the colonial period of the late 1930s, a tea plantation in the Madulkelle district Relugas Estate, was the place where what appeared to be a simple act of insubordination by an assistant superintendent, was to have far reaching consequences and wider ramifications not only for the company concerned, but for the colonial government of the time and a left leaning socialist political party called the “Lanka Sama Samaja Party” (The Lanka Socialist Party), popularly known as the LSSP. Read More
David Perkins is the son of English parents. His father, G.G. Perkins, had been an officer in the British Army during the First World War, serving in the Western Front. At the end of the war, accepting a tea planting opportunity in Ceylon, he had moved to Hatherleigh Estate, Rakwana, in 1919. Read More
Recently, my friend, Kavi Seneviratne, formerly Managing Director of Kelani Valley Plantations and, subsequently, Managing Director of Hayleys Global Beverages, very generously gifted to Dilmah, a set of old books on a wide range of aspects of the Plantation Industry. Amongst them was a tattered foolscap book with the spine exposed Read More
My brother Sene and I became professional plantation managers – commonly known as simply: ‘Tea Planters’ – a career certainly not for the chicken-hearted – it was tough and above all warranted much fore-planning and meticulous implementation with an eye for detail. To get a giant work-force of 2500 to 3500 Read More
We’re heartbroken to report the death of Larry Schokman, longtime botanical garden director; veteran tea planter; award-winning horticulturist; author; and dear friend. Schokman, 82, died following a heart attack at his home, across the street from The Kampong, part of the National Tropical Botanic Garden, where he served as director for nearly 35 years. Read More
My first encounter with Tony Peries took place in 2003. By chance, I stumbled upon a meeting of the Ceylon Society in Melbourne one Sunday afternoon at which Tony was giving a talk about his book George Steuart& Co Ltd 1952 – 1973: A Personal Odyssey, published in 2003, a copy of which occupies a prominent position on my bookshelf. Read More
Mr. J D S Wickremesooriya, my Grand Father, was one of the pioneer Transport Agents in the Dimbula District. He had branches at Kotagala, Nawalapitiya and Talawakelle. My father Lionel and his elder brother Francis look over the business in the late 1930s, with my father Lionel, taking charge of Talawakelle Read More
In this paper of mine I shall strive to show the reader examples of ‘attention to detail’ and making one realize that the ‘Planter’ is a multi-talented, forward thinking leader with constant zeal! Let us never make him feel inadequate and/or insignificant in the macro-image of the ‘plantation industry’ where the new investors are constantly Read More
