If you are a girl then I’m pretty sure you dream to get married to a royal highness. A prince charming with a great personality and looks who can take care of you like a queen. Even though there are no kings who rule kingdoms in Sri Lanka right now, there can be personalities with royal qualities. Many schools in Sri Lanka endeavour in bringing up their students with good qualities and disciplines. Royal College Colombo is one of those colleges that aim to mould students in such away.
Royal College Colombo is one of the oldest and famous schools in Sri Lanka that many parents struggle to admit their sons who seek the finest education. It is also a school that encourage the students not only for studies but also for extra-curricular activities.
Royal college is always concerned about creating all-rounders who are good in academics as well as in activities beyond the classrooms.
How the school was built
The school history runs back to Eighteen Thirty-Five. It started by a twenty-year-old reverend Joseph Marsh. The first building was located on a small cliff behind St Paul’s church. Initially, the college got the name called “Hill Street Academy”. There were twenty boys from high-class Burgher families. This new school became a sound atmosphere for these students to obtain sound English knowledge.
And then in Eighteen Thirty-Six, the Governor named Sir Robert Wilmot Horton created the Colombo Academy and made it a public school under the suggestions of Colebrooke authority. They chose an upstairs house located in messenger street. But it was not for a longer time period. And in the month of July, they switched to San Sabastian premises.
Merging the two colleges
In Eighteen Forty-Two Reverend Dr Barcroft Boake was appointed as the principal of the Colombo Academy. He created another college under the name “Queens College”. This was specifically for the seniors who are looking forward to sitting for the University entrance exam in English universities. This school was joined by Calcutta University in India. And also this was the first higher educational institute in Sri Lanka.
According to the Morgan Committee’s recommendations, it was suggested to provide scholarships for the students in Queen’s College to study at Oxford University. Due to this suggestion, Queen’s college and Colombo Academy was decided to merge in Eighteen Fifty-Nine. But after a discussion between Rev Boake and an Old boy Richard Morgan the school got the name “Colombo Academy” in Eighteen Sixty Nine.
In Eighteen Sixty Eight the school got its own hostel building. This was constructed in San Sabastian hill premises. This hostel was the first-ever hostel that was built in Sri Lankan schools history.
In Eighteen Eighty-One with the authorization of Queen Victoria, the school name was changed to “Royal College Colombo”. The name became permanent ever since and today it is famous even beyond the international waters.
Further expansions of Royal College
As time passed the count of students kept increasing. The administration identified that the available resources are insufficient to cater for the crowd. So they decided to move to another location. They selected Reid Avenue and started constructions in Nineteen Eleven. In Nineteen Thirteen the school shifted to the new premises.
The world was disturbed by World War I. And a small rivalry between the ethnic groups in Ceylon was gradually rising. Due to these issues, the higher education committee suggested shifting again to other premises. The initial suggestion was to turn the college into a university college. But Lord Chalmers had a different idea. He decided to initiate a separate university college.
And due to this idea, the Royal College moved to another place bit far from Reid Avenue in Nineteen Twenty Three. The building was constructed according to a Victorian style. This is the current Royal College premises ever since.
And the previous college building became the University College Colombo building. And later on, it became the University of Colombo.
The government introduced the free education system to Sri Lankan schools in Nineteen Thirty-One. Royal College which operated as a private college got converted into a public college. Since then all the Royalists got the opportunity to obtain an education without paying any fee.
Through the barriers of World War II
Sri Lanka was impacted again by the 2nd world war. And in Nineteen Forty the school had to shift again. They had to give the school for military purposes. The college buildings became hospital wings and then it became a garrison. E L Bradly was the principal of the school by that time. He wanted to secure the education of the young Royalists.
He shifted the students to four personal villas which were located in a street name Turret Street in Colombo.
In Nineteen Forty-Five, the war came to an end and the Royalists got their usual school premises back.
Merging the Sections
Royal preparatory school is a preliminary school for young boys. This was to mould the young ones to admit to the Royal College. These premises were also located near the Royal College. The school moved to Bandarawela in Nineteen Forty Four. The school got a separate hall to practice and perform local drama and music sessions. This is what we know as “Nawarangahala”.
They combined the Royal preparatory school and Royal College in Nineteen Seventy-Seven. And this is how Royal College got its primary school.
Beyond the books and studying
Royal College is not just a college that encourages studies. It also provides a great atmosphere for the students to develop their athletic skills and talents beyond the classrooms. The college has many sports and events that help students to build their stamina.
In Eighteen Eighty-Eight, the college created its cadet battalion. This was the first battalion in the country. They even combined with the Ceylon Light Infantry.
Sports
The most significant events that happen related to Royal College are the Big Match, Bradby shield and the Regatta. The college hires the best coaches and trainers to provide the best training and to take them to national and international levels.
The big match is a cricket battle between Royal College and S Thomas College every year. The common name of this cricket match series is the battle of the blues. They had the first game in Eighteen Seventy Nine and both schoolboys and teachers played in the match. And since Eighteen Eighty only the students played the match. The Colombo Academy which we now know as the Royal College Colombo made the first-ever victorious win.
The Trinity Royal Bradby shield encounter is the other event that connects the Kandyan Kingdom and the full happening Western province. It is an event that happens annually. There is no single Royalist or a Trinitian who miss this magnificent event. Royal College got this sport in Nineteen Sixteen. And this match started in Nineteen Twenty.
The Royal Thomian Regatta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Thomian_Regatta is another sporting event that happens annually. Every school has big matches and Bradby matches but a regatta is a unique sports event to a school. This is a race that happens between Royal College and S Thomas College since Nineteen Sixty Two.
The Old Boys Association of Royal College
The Old Boys established the Royal College old boys association in Eighteen Ninety-One. This is the first-ever alumni in Sri Lanka. The Old Royalists are keen on supporting the school to develop and to spread the fame further. They immensely support the Big match, Bradby Encounter as well as the other events.
They even conduct a Higher Education exhibition that enables both Royalists and other students to find the best pathway for their desired higher educational dream. And also it is a great avenue for the ones who are seeking career opportunities in leading organizations in Sri Lanka and in International lands.
The Royalists are brought up under the motto “Learn or depart” which shape them up to their studies to the maximum as well as to create their personalities in a distinguished way that will be productive to the society, country and to themselves.
