Surveyor General of Sri Lanka

Surveyor General of Sri Lanka
since September 2023
Department of Survey
Formation2 August 1800
First holderJoseph Jonville
WebsiteSurvey 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.

The current Surveyor General is W. Sudath L. C. Perera.

List of Surveyors General

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No. Surveyor General Took office Left office
1st Joseph Jonville 2 August 1800 1805
2nd George Atkinson 1805 1811
3rd Gualterus Schneider 1811 1833
4th Francis Brooke Norris 1833 1846
5th William Henry Simms 1846 1854
6th William Driscoll Gosset 1855 1858
7th Charles Sims 1858 1865
8th Amelius Beauclerk Fyers 1866 1883
9th Francis Coningsby Hannam Clarke 1883 1893
10th David George Mantell 1894 1896
11th Frederick Grinlinton 1896 1904
12th Philip David Warren 1904 1910
13th Robert Stanser Templeton 1910 1915
14th Walter Culpepper Stanser Ingles 1915 1923
15th Arthur Joseph Wickwar 1923 1927
16th Arthur Harry Gerald Dawson 1927 1932
17th George Kraal Thornhill 1932 1937
18th Lionel Gilbert Ollyett Woodhouse 1937 1943
19th R. J. Johnston 1943 1946
20th Ian Froome Wilson 1946 1951
21st G. B. King 1951 1954
22nd N. S. Perera 1954 1958
23rd V. Rasaretnam 1958 1961
24th J. L. T. E. Dassenaike 1961 1961
25th S. Karthigesu 1961 1965
26th J. C. Chanmugam 1965 1966
27th F. H. Gunasekara 1966 1967
28th P. U. Ratnatunga 1967 1968
29th C. T. Goonawardana 1968 1970
30th C. Vanniasingam 1970 1971
31st R. A. Gunawardana 1971 1973
32nd A. M. Cumaraswamy 1973 1973
33rd S. J. Munasinghe 1973 1981
34th S. D. F. C. Nanayakkara 1981 1989
35th S. T. Herat 1989 1991
36th E. M. Perera 1991 1991
37th Thamotharam Somasekaram 1991 1992
38th S. Berugoda 1992 1993
39th N. C. Seneviratne 1993 1996
40th M. P. Salgado 1996 1996
41st K. L. A. Ranasinghe Silva 1996 2003
42nd P. A. Ariyaratne 2003 2004
43rd B. J. P. Mendis 2004 2009
44th S. M. W. Fernando 2009 2013
45th Kanagaratnam Thavalingam 2013 March 2014
46th Nihal Gunawardena March 2014 May 2014
47th Palitha Udayakantha 30 May 2014 March 2019
48th S. M. P. P. Sangakkara March 2019 February 2020
49th S. D. P. J. Dampegama February 2020 February 2020
50th A. L. S. C. Perera February 2020 May 2021 May
51st W.T.M.S.B.Tennakoon June 2021 November 2021
52st A. Dissanayake December 2021 December 2022
53nd S. Sivanantharajah January 2023 August 2023
54th W. Sudath L. C. Perera September 2023 Up to Now

References

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  • "History". Department of Survey. Archived from the original on 2014-04-16.
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