Surveyor General of Sri Lanka

Last updated
Surveyor General of Sri Lanka
Department of Survey SL seal.png
Incumbent
W.Sudath.L.C.Perera
since September 2023
Department of Survey
Formation2 August 1800
First holder Joseph Jonville
Website Survey Department of Sri Lanka

Surveyor General of Sri Lanka is the head of Department of Survey of Sri Lanka. The post was established on 2 August 1800 with the formation of the Surveyor General's Department by a proclamation of Governor Frederick North at Galle. Joseph Jonville was appointed as the Colonial Surveyor General, residing principally in Colombo and receiving orders directly from the government. Under him five principal surveyors were appointed and the land divided among them in the following manner. "One shall superintend the survey from the River of Chilaw to the Calanie Ganga, one from the Calanie Ganga to the River of Galle, one from the River of Galle to the North Easterly extremity of the Mahagampatto: to the Northern extremity of the District of Mulletivoe, and the remaining one from the Northern extremity of the District of Mulletivoe to the River of Chilaw, and shall be thus distinguished, the Surveyor of Negombo, of Colombo, of Matara, of Trincomalee, of Jaffna-Patam." The post of Surveyor General was often combined with that of Civil Engineer and Commissioner of Roads. The department, during the first fifty years, was mainly engaged in the survey of scattered allotments of land for sale to private parties. The first title plan was issued by the new department on 20 August 1800 surveyed by C. Schneider.

Contents

The current Surveyor General is A. Dissanayake.

List of Surveyors General

No.Surveyor GeneralTook officeLeft office
1st Joseph Jonville 2 August 18001805
2nd George Atkinson 18051811
3rd Gualterus Schneider 18111833
4th Francis Brooke Norris 18331846
5th William Henry Simms 18461854
6th William Driscoll Gosset 18551858
7th Charles Sims 18581865
8th Amelius Beauclerk Fyers 18661883
9th Francis Coningsby Hannam Clarke 18831893
10th David George Mantell 18941896
11th Frederick Grinlinton 18961904
12th Philip David Warren 19041910
13th Robert Stanser Templeton 19101915
14th Walter Culpepper Stanser Ingles 19151923
15th Arthur Joseph Wickwar 19231927
16th Arthur Harry Gerald Dawson 19271932
17th George Kraal Thornhill 19321937
18th Lionel Gilbert Ollyett Woodhouse 19371943
19th R. J. Johnston 19431946
20th Ian Froome Wilson 19461951
21st G. B. King 19511954
22nd N. S. Perera 19541958
23rd V. Rasaretnam 19581961
24th J. L. T. E. Dassenaike 19611961
25th S. Karthigesu 19611965
26th J. C. Chanmugam 19651966
27th F. H. Gunasekara 19661967
28th P. U. Ratnatunga 19671968
29th C. T. Goonawardana 19681970
30th C. Vanniasingam 19701971
31st R. A. Gunawardana 19711973
32nd A. M. Cumaraswamy 19731973
33rd S. J. Munasinghe 19731981
34th S. D. F. C. Nanayakkara 19811989
35th S. T. Herat 19891991
36th E. M. Perera 19911991
37th Thamotharam Somasekaram 19911992
38th S. Berugoda 19921993
39th N. C. Seneviratne 19931996
40th M. P. Salgado 19961996
41st K. L. A. Ranasinghe Silva 19962003
42nd P. A. Ariyaratne 20032004
43rd B. J. P. Mendis 20042009
44th S. M. W. Fernando 20092013
45th Kanagaratnam Thavalingam 2013March 2014
46th Nihal Gunawardena March 2014May 2014
47th Palitha Udayakantha 30 May 2014March 2019
48th S. M. P. P. Sangakkara March 2019February 2020
49th S. D. P. J. Dampegama February 2020February 2020
50th A. L. S. C. Perera February 2020May 2021 May
51st W.T.M.S.B.Tennakoon June 2021November 2021
52st A. Dissanayake December 2021December 2022
53nd S. Sivanantharajah January 2023August 2023
54th W.Sudath.L.C.Perera September 2023Up to Now

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