# Surveyor General 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

| 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 |