From Tea Fields to Clubhouse Dreams
Hi Friends,
I have 36 years of planting experience in the tea industry in srilanka. My planting career commenced in 1989 / 1990. I joined Srilanka State Plantations Corporation ( SLSPC ) as a “Planter Trainee”. ( as a creeper ) We were in a batch of 24. 12 from SLSPC & 12 from JEDB. We were the last batch of late Mr. Gamini Dissanayaka when he was the Minister of Plantations. During our training period late Mr. Ralston Thissera was the overall “Trainer” and in addition to this job role he was the additional director of Tea Research Institute of Talawakelle. ( TRI ) So during my initial training in tea I was posted to Kottiyagala Estate in bogawanthalawa under Mr. Y. R. Rathnayaka a very senior planter. ( he was a cluster manager ) After the introduction program at Tea board for all the planter trainees in Colombo i had to join another senior planter Mr. Hemanath Wickramasooriya along with his creeper ( Sumudu Danapala ) to hatton. So I was dropped off at DMCC by Mr. Wickramasooriya and he told me that my boss (Mr.,Yasa Rathnayaka) will meet me soon at the club and take me to the estate. So it was late evening and after unloading my baggage at the club i introduced my self to the club care taker Mr. Gunawardena ( commonly known as “Gune”.) He took me round this absolutely magnificent old traditional planters club best known as Darawala club ( DMCC ) and as a young trainee planter immediately i fell in love with the atmosphere in an around the club premises. I was surprised to see the outdoor tennis courts, indoor badminton court, squash court and the billiards snooker room which had 02 old excellent original English tables. ( made in UK ) So after a while Mr. Gunawardena offered me a bottle of “Coke”. ( the old glass type bottle ) I was sipping my glass of coke with ice when my tough looking boss walked in to the club. I was terribly scared but he introduced him self to me and started to talk to me. That evening my boss with some other planters played a few games of badminton and it was time for us to leave to the bungalow. So when I quickly went and asked Mr. Gunawardena to pay for my bottle of Coke he just told me not to worry about it.
It was a great gesture from Mr. Gunawardena not knowing me to give me a bottle of coke FOC. ( free of charge ) After becoming a member now i reciprocate Gune every time I pay a visit to the club a drink of his choice free of charge before leaving the club.🙈😂 After, that i was posted to Waltrim Estate with Sumudu under another tough very senior planter none other than Doctor D. V. Seevarathnam. After my entire training period was over i was posted to Pedro Estate nuwaraeliya under Mr. S. P. Jayakody another very senior planter. Just after privatization in june 1992 Mr. S. P. Jayakody left Pedro and joined John Keels Plantations as a director. Then Mr. K. J. Murray was my boss on Pedro. When I joined and was working for Agrapathana Plantations i became a member at this prestigious club. Thereafter, from around 2003 when I was on Craiglea Estate under Kotagala Plantations i got the opportunity to serve as a committee member at DMCC. In 2018 i got the rare opportunity of been elected as the President of this wonderful club which was founded in 1868. Since, then I have continued as the President of this wonderful and prestigious club which i am very proud of and privileged. Also, i wish to place on record that with my very able committee and the support extended to me from the club staff has made my task easy to carry out my duties as President. My long career in planting has given me the rare opportunity to work in bogawanthalawa, lindula, nuwaraeliya, agarapathana, haputale, Kotagala, watawala and last in maskeliya. I have been the president of Agras Club as well and a committee member, secretary at Haldamulla club. But the memories and the good times that i have had at DMCC i am lost for words. It should be the dream of any young planter in and out of the region to grab the DMCC club membership. It is the best planter’s club without any doubt at the moment and the entertainment we offer to our membership and friends is unmatched and has no comparison with the highest quality. I am sure that with the support we get to the club from our membership, past members, sponsors, Ceylon tea traders association, colombo brokers association and well wishers who have 💯 % trust on us very soon we will be be able to take DMCC to the next level.🙏🏻
Cheers!!!
Lalindra Abeyawardena.
President / DMCC.
02/04/2025.
I have 36 years of planting experience in the tea industry in srilanka. My planting career commenced in 1989 / 1990. I joined Srilanka State Plantations Corporation ( SLSPC ) as a “Planter Trainee”. ( as a creeper ) We were in a batch of 24. 12 from SLSPC & 12 from JEDB. We were the last batch of late Mr. Gamini Dissanayaka when he was the Minister of Plantations. During our training period late Mr. Ralston Thissera was the overall “Trainer” and in addition to this job role he was the additional director of Tea Research Institute of Talawakelle. ( TRI ) So during my initial training in tea I was posted to Kottiyagala Estate in bogawanthalawa under Mr. Y. R. Rathnayaka a very senior planter. ( he was a cluster manager ) After the introduction program at Tea board for all the planter trainees in Colombo i had to join another senior planter Mr. Hemanath Wickramasooriya along with his creeper ( Sumudu Danapala ) to hatton. So I was dropped off at DMCC by Mr. Wickramasooriya and he told me that my boss (Mr.,Yasa Rathnayaka) will meet me soon at the club and take me to the estate. So it was late evening and after unloading my baggage at the club i introduced my self to the club care taker Mr. Gunawardena ( commonly known as “Gune”.) He took me round this absolutely magnificent old traditional planters club best known as Darawala club ( DMCC ) and as a young trainee planter immediately i fell in love with the atmosphere in an around the club premises. I was surprised to see the outdoor tennis courts, indoor badminton court, squash court and the billiards snooker room which had 02 old excellent original English tables. ( made in UK ) So after a while Mr. Gunawardena offered me a bottle of “Coke”. ( the old glass type bottle ) I was sipping my glass of coke with ice when my tough looking boss walked in to the club. I was terribly scared but he introduced him self to me and started to talk to me. That evening my boss with some other planters played a few games of badminton and it was time for us to leave to the bungalow. So when I quickly went and asked Mr. Gunawardena to pay for my bottle of Coke he just told me not to worry about it.
It was a great gesture from Mr. Gunawardena not knowing me to give me a bottle of coke FOC. ( free of charge ) After becoming a member now i reciprocate Gune every time I pay a visit to the club a drink of his choice free of charge before leaving the club.🙈😂 After, that i was posted to Waltrim Estate with Sumudu under another tough very senior planter none other than Doctor D. V. Seevarathnam. After my entire training period was over i was posted to Pedro Estate nuwaraeliya under Mr. S. P. Jayakody another very senior planter. Just after privatization in june 1992 Mr. S. P. Jayakody left Pedro and joined John Keels Plantations as a director. Then Mr. K. J. Murray was my boss on Pedro. When I joined and was working for Agrapathana Plantations i became a member at this prestigious club. Thereafter, from around 2003 when I was on Craiglea Estate under Kotagala Plantations i got the opportunity to serve as a committee member at DMCC. In 2018 i got the rare opportunity of been elected as the President of this wonderful club which was founded in 1868. Since, then I have continued as the President of this wonderful and prestigious club which i am very proud of and privileged. Also, i wish to place on record that with my very able committee and the support extended to me from the club staff has made my task easy to carry out my duties as President. My long career in planting has given me the rare opportunity to work in bogawanthalawa, lindula, nuwaraeliya, agarapathana, haputale, Kotagala, watawala and last in maskeliya. I have been the president of Agras Club as well and a committee member, secretary at Haldamulla club. But the memories and the good times that i have had at DMCC i am lost for words. It should be the dream of any young planter in and out of the region to grab the DMCC club membership. It is the best planter’s club without any doubt at the moment and the entertainment we offer to our membership and friends is unmatched and has no comparison with the highest quality. I am sure that with the support we get to the club from our membership, past members, sponsors, Ceylon tea traders association, colombo brokers association and well wishers who have 💯 % trust on us very soon we will be be able to take DMCC to the next level.🙏🏻
Cheers!!!