This tenacity is spoken of in plantation legends and can be seen in inscriptions on gravestones of Scots and English pioneer planters - many of whom died prematurely from disease - in Ceylon’s hill country. These bear silent testimony to the harsh conditions in which the tea industry was built and most importantly, to the fearlessness and dedication of the founders of this great industry.;xNLx;;xNLx;The 'History of Ceylon Tea' project is a tribute to those courageous men of whom Conan Doyle spoke, that the memory of their sacrifice and dedication in creating a great and life-giving industry shall not be dimmed with time. The Tea Industry of Ceylon, now called Sri Lanka, is the lifeblood of the country today, providing direct employment to over 500,000 people, and producing for the world a beverage that is healthy, refreshing and delicious. It is an imperative for the future of this industry that we shall not forget the past, and those that made history in creating our tea industry.
1812-04-15 15:25:00
1812 Potatoes first successfully cultivated in Ceylon
1812 Potatoes first successfully cultivated in Ceylon by Mr. J. F. Lorenz, Sitting Magistrate, Morowak Korale.
1818-04-15 15:25:00
1818 First cargo of Coconut Oil taken from Ceylon
1818 First cargo of Coconut Oil taken from Ceylon to the United Kingdom by Capt. Boyd, of Aberdeen.
1834-03-30 15:25:00
1834 The Colombo Observer started
1834 The Colombo Observer started by the Merchants of Colombo with Mr. Winter being the first Editor.
1839-11-11 15:25:00
1839 Dr Wallich, head of Calcutta Botanical Gardens
1839 Dr Wallich, head of Calcutta Botanical Gardens sends to Peradeniya Botanical Gardens seeds of the “recently” discovered indigenous “Assam Tea”. A further batch of seedlings is sent the following year as well.
1841-04-22 06:08:48
1841 Worms’ Brothers attempt to cultivate the Chinese tea plant on Rothschild Estate
1841 Worms’ Brothers attempt to cultivate the Chinese tea plant on Rothschild Estate (Pussellawa) and Labookellie Estate (Ramboda). A Chinese tea maker is brought in to assist with the manufacture. However, due to the high costs, the project is abandoned.
1842-04-22 06:08:48
1842 A further batch of Assam Tea seedlings are received by the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens
1842 A further batch of Assam Tea seedlings are received by the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. These are sent to Nuwara Eliya to the care of E.F. Gapp who cleared a small area of jungle on Sir Anthony Oliphant’s land. Gapp left the island “a few” years later and claimed that the plants were doing well at the time he departed.
1846-10-14 06:08:48
1846 Mr. Keane, a coffee planter
1846 Mr. Keane, a coffee planter, killed by an elephant whilst out on a shooting excursion 14th October.
1847-10-14 06:08:48
1847 Prize for the best sample of plantation
1847 Prize for the best sample of plantation coffee, peeled and cured on estate, given to Mr. R. Middleton of Charlemont, Hewaheta by the Agri-Horticultural Society of Kandy.
1848-02-07 15:25:00
1848 The Road Ordinance passed
1848 The Road Ordinance passed, requiring every able-bodied man between 18 and 60 years of age to give six days' labour, or pay a few shillings as com- mutation, for the maintenance of the roads.
1850-09-24 15:25:00
1850 Pigeon Express from Galle
1850 Pigeon Express from Galle to Colombo successfully started by the Observer Newspaper, 24th September, and continued without interruption for eight years, when it was superseded by the telegraph.
1854-02-17 06:08:48
1854 The first meeting of the Planters
1854 The first meeting of the Planters' Association held in the Boarding-house, Kandy, 17th February
1856-06-24 06:08:48
1856 The photographic art first introduced in Ceylon
1856 The photographic art first introduced in Ceylon by Mr. Parting, 24th June.