History

Our past records reveal that the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) is the successor to three geoscientific departments spanning ninety years. The first was the Mineral Survey of Ceylon (MSC) established in 1903 on the recommendations of Professor W.R. Dunston, the Director of the Imperial Institute, London, with Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy (AKC) as its first Principal Mineral Surveyor (PMS). The MSC had its object to examine the country’s mineral occurrences and possibilities of developing its economic minerals.

In 1920, the MSC changed its name to Department of the Government Mineralogist (DGM), that became commonly known as Department of Mineralogy, and lastly in 1962 renamed as Geological Survey Department (GSD) until 1993 when it was abolished to establish the GSMB. From 1903 the three Departments, MSC, DGM and DGS were headed by the following fourteen Directors.

Dr Ananda k. Coomaraswamy

Direator - MSC

1903 - 1906

James Parsons

Direator - MSC

1907 - 1908

J.A Daniel

Direator - MSC

1909 - 1914

J. Spencer Coates

Direator

MSC : 1919 - 1920

DGM : 1921 1934

Dr D.N Wadia

Direator - MSC

1936 - 1944

L.J.D. Fernando

Direator

DGM : 1945 - 1962

GSD : 1962 - 1971

D.B. Pattiaratchchi

Direator - GSD

1971 - 1975

Dr M.M.J.W Herath

Direator - GSD

1975 - 1976

D.J.A.C Hapuarachchi

Direator - GSD

1976 - 1983

L.K. Seneviratne

Direator - GSD

1983 - 1985

D.E.de.S. Jayawardena

Direator - GSD

1985 - 1987

M.R.D Fernando

Direator - GSD

1987 - 1990

N.S. Ranasinghe

Direator - GSD

1990 - 1993

Aforesaid Heads of the three departments pioneered in discovering and documenting data of Sri Lanka’s mineral resources, to which all currently operating mineral-based industries owe their existence.

On 18th March 1993, the GSMB was established as a body corporate by an Act of Parliament, the Mines and Minerals Act, No. 33 of 1992 as amended by Mines and Minerals (Amendment) Act, No.66 of 2009, to combine the functions of the GSD with additional responsibilities to regulate the country’s mining and mining related activities by the issue of licences. Until present, GSMB was administered by two Directors as Chief Technical Officers and five Director Generals as Chief Executive Officers, they are;