| S. Thomas' College, Gurutalawa | |
| Motto: | Latin: Esto Perpetua |
| Motto Translation: | Be Thou Forever |
| Principal: | U.U.K.Laksiri S.Perrera |
| Houses: | Reed Garnier De Saram Hayman |
| Colors: | Dark blue and black |
| Song: | Thomian Song |
| Gender: | Male |
| Free Label 1: | Former pupils |
| Free Label: | Brother Schools |
| Website: | https://www.stcguru.edu.lk |
S. Thomas' College, Gurutalawa is a private Christian school situated in Gurutalawa, in the Uva Province of Sri Lanka. It is an Anglican school administered by the Church of Ceylon.
The College forms a branch of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, which is under the Anglican Church of Ceylon, is run by a Board of Governors which is chaired by the Anglican Bishop of Colombo, who is also known as the "Visitor of the College". The administration of the College in itself is headed by a headmaster who is an Anglican priest. Admission to the College is at the sole discretion of the headmaster.[1]
S. Thomas' College, Gurutalawa was founded by Dr. R. L. Hayman in 1942,[2] [3] as a branch of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia. A farm with some land and buildings was donated to the college by Mr. & Mrs. Leslie de Saram.
Due to the Japanese war threats to Colombo, during World War II, the State Council decided in February 1942 to close all schools in the Colombo District. There were over 700 boys at S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia and as the Warden explored possibilities of opening branches inland, Mr. and Mrs. Leslie De Seram made the generous offer of their 45order=flipNaNorder=flip farm at Gurutalawa.
The College is a fully fledged school catering to extra-curricular activities with a swimming pool and has facilities for nearly all sports including athletics, cricket, basketball, rugby, volleyball, squash, soccer, table tennis, hockey, badminton, swimming as well as activities like scouting, hiking and trekking. There is also the encouragement for a variety of societies and clubs, debating, oratory, oriental dancing and music.
| No. | Name of Headmaster | Years Served | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | |||
| 1. | W. R. L. Hayman | 1942 | 1945 | |
| 2. | C. H. L. Davidson | 1946 | 1947 | |
| 3. | W. R. L. Hayman | 1948 | 1962 | |
| 4. | A. J. Foster | 1963 | 1964 (Acting) | |
| 5. | A. K. Chapman | 1965 | (Acting) | |
| 6. | K. Dassanayake | 1965 | (Acting) | |
| 7. | F. Jayasinghe | 1965 | 1968 | |
| 8. | E. L. Perera | 1968 | 1974 | |
| 9. | M. L. C. Ilangakoon | 1975 | 1977 | |
| 10. | S. C. H. De Silva | 1977 | 1981 | |
| 11. | E. St. P. Gunawardene | 1982 | 1987 | |
| 12. | J. De S. Jayasinghe | (Acting) | ||
| 13. | J. B. Gunasegaram | 1988 | 1989 | |
| 14. | H. C. Goodchild | 1989 | 1990 (Acting) | |
| 15. | C. B. Ratnayake | 1990 | 1997 | |
| 16. | L. A. M. Chandrasekera | 1997 | 1999 (Acting) | |
| 17. | I. A. Fernando | 1999 | 2001 | |
| 18. | G. C. Mendis | 2001 | 2003 | |
| 19. | E. G. J. Canagasabey | 2004 | 2006 | |
| 20. | J. Huyghebaert | 2007 (Acting) | ||
| 21. | N. M. P. Billimoria | 2007 | 2012 | |
| 22. | Nihal Fernando | 2012 | 2017 | |
| 23. | S. P. Nesakumar | 2018 | 2022 | |
See also: List of St. Thomas' College alumni.