List of Burgher people explained

This is a list of notable Burgher people, who are a Eurasian ethnic group, historically from Sri Lanka, consisting for the most part of male-line descendants of European colonists from the 16th to 20th centuries (mostly Portuguese, Dutch, German and British) and local women, with some minorities of French and Irish.

Academics

• E. F. C. Ludowyk – Professor of English, Dean of the School of Arts, University of Ceylon
• Prof. E. O. E. Pereira – founding Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Ceylon; Vice Chancellor Peradeniya

Civil servants

• Major General Bertram Heyn – Commander of Ceylon Army; cricket, field hockey and rugby star
• Neville Jansz – Sri Lankan diplomat
• M. C. Sansoni – Puisne Judge and then Chief Justice
• Sir Francis Soertsz – Supreme Court Judge
• Wilhelm Woutersz – Sri Lankan diplomat
• Dr. Richard Gerald Anthonisz - First Colonial Secretary and Chief Archivist of the National Archives of Ceylon.

Professionals

• Cecil Balmond – Structural engineer and architectural theoretician
• Louis Edmund Blaze – Educator and founder of Kingswood College, Kandy
• Frederick Dornhorst – Lawyer

Artists

• Jean Arasanayagam (née Solomonsz) – poet and painter
• William Wright Beling – painter and father of Geoffrey Beling
• George Keyt – painter and founding member of Colombo '43 Group
• J. L. K. van Dort – 19th-century artist
• Lionel Wendt – photographer and founder of the Colombo '43 Group

Authors

• David Blacker – author and blogger, winner of the State Literary Award for Best Novel in 2006
• Michelle de Kretser - Australian novelist
• Carl Muller – prolific author of many books including The Jam Fruit Tree, The Yakada Yaka, Once Upon a Tender Time and Children of the Lion
• Michael Ondaatje – Canadian poet and author of numerous novels, including The English Patient
• Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha – poet and activist
• Rosemary Rogers – best-selling author of romance novels in the USA; has been on the New York Times best-sellers list
• Vivimarie Vanderpoorten – poet, winner of Gratiaen Prize 2009

Journalists

• Frederica Jansz – Sri Lanka journalist, editor of The Sunday Leader

Politics

• Peter Daniel Anthonisz – first President of the Ceylon Branch of British Medical Association; member of the Legislative Council
• Professor David de Kretser – professor and Director for the Institute of Reproduction and Development, Monash University; former Governor of Victoria, Australia
• Pieter Keuneman – Sri Lankan politician
• Quint Ondaatje – Dutch patriot and politician
• Beverley Pinder – Councillor, City of Melbourne, Australia; former Miss Australia

Chefs

• Geoff Jansz – Australian TV chef
• Charmaine Solomon – Australian resident chef and well-known writer of Asian cookbooks

Musicians and entertainers

• Vasanthi Chathurani – actress
• Elaine Cole – baila dancer
• Danielle de Niese – Australian-American opera singer
• Stuart de Silva – Sri Lankan jazz pianist and actor
• Jamie Durie – Australian media personality
• Jacqueline Fernandez – actor; Miss Universe 2006 contestant
• Cliff Foenander – musician
• Anton Jones – baila singer
• Desmond Kelly – Australian musician; actor
• Alston Koch – Australian musician
• Douglas Meerwald – singer
• Keith Potger – musician; member of The Seekers; founder of The New Seekers^[1]
• Guy Sebastian – Australian singer
• Gina Zamparelli – Los Angeles-based concert promoter

Fashion and models

• Nigel Barker – fashion photographer
• Ramani Bartholomeusz – actress and model, represented Sri Lanka in the Miss Universe 1985 pageant
• Sabrina Herft – Miss Sri Lanka for Miss Universe 2012
• Maureen Hingert – represented Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) when Ceylon took part for the first time at the 1954 Miss Universe pageant; second runner-up
• Dannielle Kerkoven – model and Former Miss Sri Lanka for Miss. World-2006

Athletes

• Graeme Labrooy – former Sri Lankan cricketer
• Sir Christopher Ondaatje – former athlete; philanthropist
• Laddie Outschoorn – England cricketer (Worcestershire County Cricket Club, 1946–1959); Cap 1948
• Michael Vandort – Sri Lankan cricketer
• Jeffrey Vandersay - Sri Lankan cricketer
• Duncan White – Sri Lankan (then Ceylonese) 440m silver medalist at the London Olympics in 1948; gold medalist 1950 Empire games
• Jack Hingert - Australian-born Sri Lankan footballer
• Wade Dekker - Australian soccer player
• Sam Durrant - English-Sri Lankan footballer.
• Oliver Kelaart - Australian-born Sri Lankan footballer.

See also

• List of Sri Lankans

Notes and References

1. Web site: About the Burghers. Burgher Association (Australia). 12 December 2011.