List of Burgher people
# List of Burgher people

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
* Gresha Schuilling – musician
* 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
