List of Sri Lankan Australians

This is a List of Sri Lankan Australians, people who are of Sri Lankan heritage living in Australia. "Sri Lankan Australians" refers to all ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, but they are mainly the Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils and Burghers.

Academics

• Christie Jayaratnam Eliezer - academic
• Sisira Jayasuriya - professor of Economics at La Trobe University
• Christopher Weeramantry - Emeritus Professor at Monash University
• Chandani Lokuge - Associate Professor at Monash University
• Priyan Mendis - Professor of Civil Engineering at The University of Melbourne

Authors

• Michelle de Kretser - author
• Dipti Saravanamuttu - poet and academic

Businesspeople

• Jitto Arulampalam - current Chairman of Progen Pharmaceuticals Limited and Euro Petroleum Limited; Australian Financial Review MIS Magazine recognized him as one of the "Top 25 Global Rising Stars" in 2006[1][2]
• Shanaka Fernando[3] - founder of Melbourne not-for-profit restaurant group 'Lentil as Anything' (a joke on the rock group Mental As Anything); 2007 Australian Local Hero Award recipient
• Shemara Wikramanayake[4] - CEO of Macquarie Group

Chefs

• Geoff Jansz - Nine Network TV chef
• Peter Kuruvita - chef[5][6][7]
• Charmaine Solomon - cookbook author

Media

• Vernon Abeysekera - Director of Radio Ceylon and civil servant
• Karina Carvalho - ABC journalist
• Avani Dias - Hack host (2020–) and journalist
• Jamie Durie - Seven Network media personality
• Pria Viswalingam - SBS journalist
• Badra Kamal Karunarathna (AM,JP) - journalist, CMS and SBS radio

Musicians

• Andrew De Silva - R&B and rock singer, winner of Australia's Got Talent 2012
• Candy Devine - musician and actress
• Cliff Foenander - leading musician with the Fabulous Echoes
• Clarence Jey - Billboard Hot 100 record producer, musician
• Kamahl - singer and actor (born in Malaysia)
• Desmond Kelly - musician and actor
• Alston Koch - musician[8][9][10]
• Keith Potger - musician, founding member of The Seekers
• Guy Sebastian[11] - first winner of Australian Idol
• Amali Ward - Australian Idol contestant, singer[12]
• Ecca Vandal - South African born Sri Lankan Tamil artist based in Melbourne

Politics

• David de Kretser[13] - Governor of Victoria
• Palitha Kohona - former Permanent Secretary to the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Anton Muttukumaru[14] - ex Army Commander of Ceylon and high Commissioner to Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Ambassador to Egypt
• Shiva Pasupati - longest serving Attorney General of Sri Lanka (former); human rights activist
• Jude Perera - State Member for Cranbourne District in the Victorian Legislative Assembly
• Jonathan Sri - Councillor for The Gabba Ward in the Brisbane City Council

Religion

• Ameer Ali - ex-President of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils
• Roger Herft - Archbishop of Perth
• Danny Nalliah - Christian evangelist pastor
• Gangodawila Soma Thero - chief incumbent of Buddhist Temple Victoria

Sportspeople

• Ashton Agar - cricket player
• Sawan Serasinghe - Professional Badminton player and Olympian
• Saliya Ahangama - cricketer and coach
• Hayden Crozier - AFL player
• Jacynta Galabadaarachchi - woman footballer
• Gamini Goonesena - cricketer
• Asanka Gurusinha - cricketer
• Chandika Hathurusingha - cricketer and coach
• Suresh Joachim - Guinness world record holder
• Kosala Kuruppuarachchi - cricketer
• Gabriella Pound - women's AFL player
• Ravi Ratnayeke - cricketer
• Athula Samarasekera - cricketer
• Prashanth Sellathurai - professional gymnast who competed in New Delhi Commonwealth Games
• Tania Van Heer - sprinter
• Dav Whatmore - coach of the Sri Lanka and Bangladesh cricket teams
• Jamie Young - footballer
• Vineetha Wijesuriya - chess

Others

• Ernest MacIntyre - playwright
• S. Shakthidharan - writer, director and producer of film and theatre
• Nazeem Hussain - comedian, actor, television and radio presenter
• Dilruk Jayasinha - comedian and actor ( Winner – Most Popular New Talent, Logie Awards 2018 )
• Sarah Roberts - television and film actress
• Shelly and Tanila - youtube comedy duo

See also

• List of Sri Lankans

References

1. "Board of Directors". Progen Pharmaceuticals Limited. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
2. "Indrajit "Jitto" Arulampalam". Bloomberg. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
3. 2007 Australian of the Year awardees, accessed 26 January 2007
4. 2016 , accessed 14 November 2017
5. http://www.sbs.com.au/food/foodsafaricuisine/index/cp/22/section/businesses/n/Sri%20Lankan
6. http://www.au.timeout.com/sydney/restaurants/features/4941/buy-the-book-serendip
7. http://www.masterchef.com.au/guest-chef-peter-kuruvita.htm
8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 15 August 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
9. http://sundaytimes.lk/090322/Magazine/sundaytimestvtimes_01.html
10. http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/18212
11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 10 February 2009. Retrieved 5 March 2020.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
12. "Tassie's A list". The Mercury. 19 January 2007. Archived from the original on 21 March 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2007.
13. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2008.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)