Oliver Goonetilleke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Oliver Goonetilleke
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| 3rd Governor-General of Ceylon | |
| In office 17 July 1954 – 2 March 1962 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | John Kotelawala S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Wijeyananda Dahanayake Dudley Senanayake Sirimavo Bandaranaike |
| Preceded by | Herwald Ramsbotham, 1st Viscount Soulbury |
| Succeeded by | William Gopallawa |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 14 October 1953 – 23 June 1954 |
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| Prime Minister | John Kotelawala |
| In office 14 October 1953 – 23 June 1954 |
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| Prime Minister | John Kotelawala |
| Preceded by | Junius Richard Jayewardene |
| Succeeded by | M. D. H. Jayawardena |
| High Commissioner for Ceylon to the United Kingdom | |
| In office 1949–1952 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | DS Senanayake, Dudley Senanayake |
| Preceded by | Office Created |
| Succeeded by | Edwin Wijeyeratne |
| Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development | |
| In office 26 September 1947 – 22 July 1948 |
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| Prime Minister | D. S. Senanayake |
| Preceded by | Post Created |
| Succeeded by | Edwin Wijeyeratne |
| 3rd Financial Secretary of Ceylon | |
| In office 16 February 1946 – 3 February 1947 |
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| Preceded by | Harold James Huxham |
| Succeeded by | Abolished |
| 27th Colonial Auditor | |
| In office 25 June 1931 – 16 February 1946 |
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| Preceded by | F. G. Morley |
| Succeeded by | E. Allen Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 October 1892 Trincomalee, Ceylon |
| Died | 17 December 1978 (aged 86) Colombo Sri Lanka |
| Spouses | Esther Goonetilleke (nee Jayawardena), Lady Phyllis Goonetilleke (nee Miller) |
| Children | Joyce Wijesinghe Shiela Sathananthan Ernie Goonetilleke |
| Profession | Accountant |
Sir Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke (20 October 1892 – 17 December 1978) was an important leader from Sri Lanka. He played a key role in helping Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) gain its independence from Britain. Later, he became the third Governor-General of Ceylon from 1954 to 1962. He was the first person from Ceylon to hold this high position.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke was born on October 20, 1892, in Trincomalee, which is in the northeast of Ceylon. He was the fifth of eight children and the only son of Alfred Goonetilleke and Emily Jayasekera. His father worked for the Ceylon Postal Service and was the postmaster in Trincomalee when Oliver was born.
He went to Wesley College in Colombo. There, he earned many awards and scholarships. After finishing school, Goonetilleke became an assistant teacher at Wesley College. He later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of London by studying from home.
Starting His Career Journey
After getting his degree, Oliver Goonetilleke left teaching. He then worked as a sub-accountant at O. B. Wijeyesekera's Bank of Colombo. When that bank closed, he was hired by D. R. Wijewardena to manage the Ceylon Daily News newspaper. He also served as an honorary Lieutenant in the Ceylon Cadet Corps.
Working for the Government
In 1921, Goonetilleke began working for the government. He was first an Assistant Auditor for the Railway in the Audit Office. Later, he was promoted to Assistant Colonial Auditor.
Becoming Auditor General
On June 25, 1931, Goonetilleke became the first Ceylonese person to be appointed as the Colonial Auditor for Ceylon. When the Donoughmore Constitution was put in place, his title changed to Auditor General of Ceylon. He held this important role until February 1946.
As Colonial Auditor, he was also a member of the Executive Council of Ceylon. He took on extra duties, like leading the Civil Defense and Food departments. He was recognized for his service as Auditor General in 1941.
Leading Civil Defense Efforts
When World War II started and there was a risk of attack from Japan, Goonetilleke was given another big job. He became the Civil Defence Commissioner for Ceylon. He led the new Civil Defence Department to prepare the country for possible attacks. Some of his decisions, like tearing down buildings in Colombo to create fire breaks, were not popular at first. However, these actions proved important when the Imperial Japanese Navy launched air raids on Colombo in 1942.
In this role, he worked closely with William Ivor Jennings and D. S. Senanayake. This group became known as "the Breakdown Gang" because they also discussed how Ceylon could become fully independent after the war. Goonetilleke was knighted in 1944 for his excellent work as Civil Defense Commissioner.
Working for Independence
In 1943, Britain announced that Ceylon would be granted more control over its own government. Goonetilleke, along with Senanayake and Jennings, wrote a draft constitution. They sent it to the British Government in February 1944. At this time, Goonetilleke also traveled to Britain to discuss urgent food supplies for Ceylon. There, he met Lord Soulbury, who was leading a commission to Ceylon. Goonetilleke strongly argued for Ceylon's self-rule.
He then advised Senanayake on how to approach the members of the Soulbury Commission when they arrived in Ceylon in December 1944. Goonetilleke became an "unofficial secretary" to the commission. He greatly influenced their recommendations for Ceylon's independence.
Serving as Financial Secretary
As the war ended, Goonetilleke left his long-held position as Colonial Auditor. In February 1946, he became the Financial Secretary of Ceylon. This meant he was in charge of the country's money and financial plans. He was the first Ceylonese person to hold this important job. He resigned in September 1947. In 1948, he received another knighthood for his service as Financial Secretary.
Political Career Begins
When Ceylon became a dominion within the British Commonwealth in 1947, the first cabinet of ministers was formed. D. S. Senanayake became the Prime Minister.
Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development
On September 26, 1947, Goonetilleke was appointed as the Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development. He was also appointed to the Senate of Ceylon, which was the new upper house of parliament. He became the Leader of the Senate. On February 4, 1948, Ceylon officially gained independence. Goonetilleke resigned from his ministerial and senatorial roles on July 22, 1948.
High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
After leaving his cabinet position, Goonetilleke was appointed as the first Ceylonese High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He served in this role until February 1951.
Returning to Cabinet Roles
He returned to Ceylon in early 1951. In March 1951, he resumed his cabinet position as Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development. He also became the Leader of the Senate again, serving until April 1952.
Minister of Finance Again
After Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake resigned in 1953, Sir John Kotelawala took over. Kotelawala appointed Goonetilleke as Minister of Finance on October 14, 1953. He also continued as Leader of the Senate. His time as Finance Minister was short, ending in June 1954. During this period, he served as the Minister in Attendance to Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Ceylon.
Becoming Governor-General
Soon after Queen Elizabeth II visited Ceylon in April 1954, the decision was made to appoint a Ceylonese person as Governor-General. This meant a local person would take over from the British Governor-General, Lord Soulbury. Goonetilleke was chosen for this important role. He moved into Queen's House, the official residence. He was a friend of the well-known helper of good causes, Sir Ernest de Silva, who supported his appointment.
He continued in office even after S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike became Prime Minister in 1956.
Handling the 1958 Riots
On May 24, 1958, communal riots broke out in Ceylon. As the violence spread, Goonetilleke declared a state of emergency on May 27, 1958. He sent the armed forces to stop the rioting. Prime Minister Bandaranaike allowed Goonetilleke to take charge. Goonetilleke gave orders to the armed forces to use force to stop the violence. The armed forces quickly brought order back to the country.
After the Prime Minister's Assassination
Goonetilleke had to take strong action again on September 25, 1959. Prime Minister Bandaranaike was shot at his home. Goonetilleke was at Queen's House when he heard the news. He stopped his official ceremony and rushed to the Prime Minister's home. He declared a state of emergency at 11 AM, putting the military on high alert. Bandaranaike died the next day.
Goonetilleke appointed Wijeyananda Dahanayake as acting Prime Minister, based on a letter from Bandaranaike. This appointment was later confirmed by Parliament.
After Bandaranaike's death, the country faced a period of political uncertainty. Dahanayake's time as Prime Minister was short. New elections were called in March 1960, but no single party won enough seats. Dudley Senanayake formed a government for a short time. Goonetilleke had to decide whether to dissolve Parliament and call new elections or ask another group to form a government. He chose to dissolve Parliament and call for fresh elections. He also briefly served as Minister of Finance from March to April 1960.
Bandaranaike's wife, Sirima Bandaranaike, became the leader of his party. She won the elections in July 1960. Goonetilleke asked Mrs. Bandaranaike to form a government, and she became the world's first female Prime Minister.
The 1962 Attempted Military Coup
In January 1962, news came out about an attempted military coup against Mrs. Bandaranaike's government. Some investigations suggested Goonetilleke might have been involved. He denied this and said he was willing to be questioned by the police. However, Mrs. Bandaranaike wanted him to leave office. She sent her secretary to London to ask the Queen to appoint a new Governor-General.
On February 26, it was announced that William Gopallawa would become the new Governor-General on March 20. Gopallawa was Mrs. Bandaranaike's uncle. Goonetilleke quietly left Queen's House on March 2 and then left the country. He had served as Governor-General for eight years under five different prime ministers.
Later Life and Return
Goonetilleke lived a retired life in London. He was accused of being involved in the attempted military coup, but this was never proven. He became a member of Lloyd's of London and enjoyed horse racing.
Later, in 1972, he faced accusations related to money being taken out of Ceylon. After the government changed in 1977, the new Prime Minister, J. R. Jayewardene, allowed people who had faced such accusations to return to Sri Lanka. This allowed Goonetilleke to come back home. He passed away in 1978 after a short illness.
His Legacy and Impact
A statue of Goonetilleke was put up by the public at Kanatte crossroads in Borella. In 1982, the Government of Sri Lanka issued a special stamp to remember Sir Oliver Goonetilleke. A book about his life called 'OEG' was written by Charles Joseph Jeffries. His family also commissioned a six-foot bronze statue of him, which was placed in Colombo in 1967.
Personal Life
Oliver Goonetilleke first married Esther (née Jayawardena). They had three children: Joyce Wijesinghe, Shiela Sathananthan, and Ernie Goonetilleke. Esther passed away when their children were very young. Later, during his time in London, Goonetilleke married Phyllis Miller. She had been the secretary of the Soulbury Commission, and he had become friends with her around 1944. They lived in London until his death in 1978.
He was also a leader at the YMCA and held important positions in the Anglican Church of Ceylon.
Honours and Awards
Goonetilleke received many honours and medals for his public service. These included his work as Auditor General, his wartime service as Civil Defense Commissioner, and his later political career.
| Ribbon | Name | Date awarded |
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Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (GCMG) | 1954 (KCMG: 1948; CMG: 1941) |
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Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) | 1954 |
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Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) | 1944 |
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Knight of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (KStJ) | 1955 |
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Defence Medal | 1945 |
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King George V Silver Jubilee Medal | 1935 |
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King George VI Coronation Medal | 1937 |
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Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal | 1952 |
See also
- Sri Lankan Non Career Diplomats
