R L Brohier’s 33rd death anniversary:

He was one with nature

Stanley E ABEYNAYAKE

R L Brohier

Richard Leslie Brohier (RL) was born on October 5, 1892 in Pettah, the residential area in Colombo 11 at that time. Then several respectable Dutch Burgher families lived in that locality with lovely tropical foliage, luscious fruit trees and evergreen flowering plants. Brohier’s Dutch Burghers traced their clan to French nationality. According to authentic VOC (Dutch East India) company records they arrived in Sri Lanka as employees of that company in 1699.

Among those VOC employees, the Brohiers, Loos, Carroms were of French extraction, whilst Kodis, Spittels, Felsingers, Hopmans, Albrechts were German and Souza and Oorloffs were Italians.

During the British colonial administration, most of the Dutch Burghers were professionals in law, medicine, accountancy including mercantile sector, engineering, surveying and teaching.

Surveyor

R L Brohier was educated at the Colombo Academy in Hulftsdorp, the precursor of Royal College, Colombo.

After the completion of his secondary education, he joined the Technical College, Colombo to follow the surveying course.

He passed out in 1910 and gained employment as an assistant surveyor in our Survey Department – one of the oldest departments in Sri Lanka.

Soon afterwards, he was seen with his theodolite and chisius surveying irrigation works and lands in the Rajarata – Dry Zone and also the Ruhunu Rata.

His labour of love was to compile text books on our ancient civilization, irrigation tanks and works. In this connection his magnum opus is the Irrigation works in Ceylon. It consists of three volumes.

This whole work was translated into Sinhala by L Piyasena of the tutorial staff of Dharmaraja College, Kandy.

That book contains not only the engineering feats of ancient experts on the subject, but also, folk-lore and legends pertaining to those unique works. Further, those writings display his in depth study of sociology and environmental science among the peasants mostly in the dry zone.

He was so deeply absorbed in the environment – and scenic beauty of the surroundings of the Kantale area, Brohier never failed to refer to crocodiles, peacocks, migratory birds, wild buffaloes, wild boar and monkeys swinging to and fro from branch to branch.

His publications, books and so on were not confined to the ancient irrigation works of our country but also to various themes.

Those resourceful texts are namely,

* Golden age of military adventure in Ceylon

* Irrigation and Colonization in Ceylon – 1942

* The Gal-oya Valley project in Ceylon – 1951

* Seeing Ceylon – 1965

* Furniture in the Dutch Period

* Links between Sri Lanka and the Netherlands

* Discovering Ceylon – 1975

Of them only Seeing Ceylon and Discovering Ceylon have been translated into Sinhala by Abhaya Hewawasam.

Eminent achiever

His publications convey lot of geographical information as well. The wonderful ‘Hummanaya’ a balm to the inquisitive environmentalist, hot water springs rather, wells, Katuwana Dutch Fort and some principal cities are referred to in his works with enthusiasm.

In his book Discovering Ceylon which belongs to the category of books on travel, he has delved into the realm of contemporary sociological background, sports and recreations of the Sinhala society. So much so in writing a foreword to his excellent labour of love ancient irrigation works in Ceylon, the first Prime Minister of Independent Sri Lanka D S Senanayake, Privy Councillor (PC) highly commended Brohier for his devotion to duty and motherland.

The Prime Minister in recognition of his yeomen services mainly in the irrigation field, in course of time got R L Brohier appointed as a director of the Gal-oya scheme – development Board.

Moreover, when Gamini Dissanayake was the Minister of Irrigation and Mahaweli Development, he saw to it that Brohier’s magnum opus Ancient irrigation works in Ceylon be re-printed by his ministry. From his first appointment as Surveyor in the Survey Department by dint of sheer hard work, he was able to rise up to the position of Deputy Surveyor General.

A scholar of no mean repute, he was connected with some academic research institutes. From his membership in such prestigious institutions such as the Royal Asiatic Society, Institute of Engineers, Ceylon Geographical Society, Ceylon Institute of Surveyors, Dutch-Burgher Association, he was in course of time elevated to Presidency of them respectively. The University of Ceylon impressed by his vast knowledge on various themes conferred on him D Litt (Doctor of Letters) Honoris Causa in 1963.

When R L Brohier passed way on February, 14, 1980 at the age of 87, he left behind undying memories of distinguished unique services of the land of his birth.

The Philatelic Bureau of the Department of Posts issued a postal stamp as a mark of honour to a patriotic son of the soil who unravelled to the whole world inter-alia, marvels of our unrivalled irrigation, rather hydraulic civilization.