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528:, which was called Lake House from which he derived the name of the holding company Lake House Group owned by Wijewardena which brought together his different publications which included the Fergusons Ceylon Directory. He started several buses to deliver papers to remotes parts of the island and providing public service in turn. Wijewardena expanded his personal holdings having acquired the Landscape Estate in Latpandura and Acadia in Diyatalawa.
95:
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Wijewardena inherited some of his family estates and landholdings, which provided for a comfortable private income which meant that he was not completely dependent on legal practice for an income. This meant that he spent some time managing these assets, while practicing as an advocate. He did not
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and Helena
Weerasinghe. He lost his father at a very young age and was raised by his mother. His brothers were Don Philip Alexander, Don Lewis, Don Charles, Don Edmund, Don Albert and Don Walter and his sisters were Harriot who married Dr Arthur Seneviratne and Agnes Helen who married Justice
502:, with the first issue coming out on 3 January 1918, Wijewardena set about making it the premier morning paper in the island, by increasing its quality in both content and print as well as expanding its distribution cross the island. He soon bought its primary competition
524:(ANCL) which would publish seven newspapers Dinamina, Silumina (Sinhalese), Daily News, the Observer, Sunday Observer (English), Thinakaran and Sunday Thinakaran (Tamil). ANCL shifted its operations to a purpose-built building along the banks of the
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was named
Wijewardena Hall in his honor. He bequeathed a large number of Buddhist books to the university library and funded several scholarships. McCallum Road in Colombo was renamed D.R. Wijewardena Mawatha.
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he established played a major role in the pre and post independence era becoming a powerful media influence in Ceylon, resulting in its being taken over by the government under the
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where it was kept since the surrender of the
Kingdom to the British in 1815. The recovered banner became a focal point in the independence movement and it became the flag of the
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D.R.Wijewardena along with another Sri Lankan freedom fighter E.W.Perera, successfully traced the banner of the last King of Sri Lanka. It subsequently became the flag of the
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and remains to this day the government owned print media publishing house. A strong proponent for a university in Ceylon, he was one of the founders of the
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403:. As a young advocate, Wijewardena to an active role in the local movements for constitutional change. In 1913 he was elected secretary of the
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Wijewardena received his primary education at the
Sedavatta School after which like all his brothers, completed his secondary education at
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before moving to a house at De Saram Place, Maradane and finally settling at
Warrington at Braybrook Place. He purchased and developed
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785:"121st birth anniversary of D. R. Wijewardene falls today: Lake House and D. R. Wijewardene: The informative and the pragmatist"
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he agitated for constitutional reform and self-rule. He became the joint-secretary of the Ceylon Reform League along with
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until resigning in 1917 on principle after he was reprimanded by his commanding officer for inviting the outspoken
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613:. They had two sons, Ranjith and Seewali; three daughters, Nalini, Rani and Kusuma. The family lived first at
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He married Alice
Gertrude Ruby Meedeniya on 26 January 1916 at the Meedeniya Walauwa, she was the daughter of
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together with his brother D. C. Wijewardena. He thereafter in 1917 bought the
English-language daily
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which had been founded in 1834 for Rs 100,000. In 1926, these newspapers where consolidated under
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practice law for long, turning towards business activities instead. In 1914, he acquired the
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587:. He would later organise a second deputation too. He was also instrumental in starting the
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traced the location of the banner of last King Sri
Vikrama Rajasinghe, the last king of the
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D. R. Wijewardena was born as the third male child of seven sons and two daughters of
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Wijewardena was in touch with local events and organised the first deputation to the
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Associated
Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (Special Provisions) Law No. 28 of 1973
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and
Corneliya Magdeline Senanayake who was the niece of Lambertus Obeyesekere,
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304::දොන් රිච්ඩ් විජෙවර්ධන) (23 February 1886 – 13 June 1950) was a Sri Lankan
641:, the first speaker of the State Council and his nephew (Helen's son) was
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Sri Lankan press baron and leader in the Sri Lankan independence movement
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946:. Peradeniya Medical School Alumni Association of the United Kingdom
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328:
Tudugalage Don Philip Wijewardene, a timber merchant of Sedavatta,
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890:"D.R. Wijewardene: Trailblazer of the Lankan publishing industry"
458:
759:"D. R. Wijewardene – trail blazer in local newspaper industry"
18:
506:. This was followed by the purchase of the publication of a
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and played a significant role in the independence movement.
579:. To this seat majority of the Ceylonese elected Sir
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as the family retreat. His daughters Nalini married
492:for Rs 16,000, and paid of its debt of Rs 5,000 to
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387:Returning to Ceylon in 1912, he took oaths as an
914:Tribute to the men who gave us the National Flag
355:, Bepin Chandra Pal, Surendranath Banerji and
8:
312:. A successful entrepreneur, he established
1054:Ceylonese military personnel of World War I
1049:Alumni of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia
442:in 1913. Mobilized for war service during
93:
82:
811:"Old Thomians who rallied round the boss"
424:Basnayaka Nilame Vs Attorney General case
69:Learn how and when to remove this message
633:on several occasions and eventually the
32:This article includes a list of general
710:
699:List of political families in Sri Lanka
659:Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited
522:Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited
430:. Wijewardena gained a commission as a
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974:D. R. Wijewardene – an unassumed hero
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422:In 1915, he took part in the notable
7:
569:Secretary of State for the Colonies
395:and started his legal practice at
38:it lacks sufficient corresponding
14:
571:with H. J. C. Pereira along with
689:Sri Lankan independence movement
684:Sri Lankan independence activist
637:and His brother-in-law was Sir
415:, when it was formed in 1917 by
310:Sri Lankan independence movement
23:
1044:Alumni of Peterhouse, Cambridge
937:"University of Peradeniya 1954"
564:upon its independence in 1948.
171:Don Philip Wijewardana (Father)
1059:Ceylon Light Infantry officers
1:
979:Remembering D. R. Wijewardene
577:Legislative Council of Ceylon
1034:Sri Lankan mass media owners
1004:National Heroes of Sri Lanka
840:The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)
694:National Heroes of Sri Lanka
347:He then went on to study at
163:Two sons and Three daughters
1039:Members of the Inner Temple
631:Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
490:Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam
417:Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam
405:Ceylon National Association
359:. He was a contemporary of
173:Helena Weerasinghe (Mother)
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875:D.R. rises to the occasion
452:legislative council member
335:Eugene Wilfred Jayewardene
199:S. Thomas' College, Mutwal
342:St. Thomas College Mutwal
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92:
925:DEP Franz – Family #3084
854:"Working towards reform"
516:. In 1923, he purchased
363:After graduating with a
308:who was involved in the
842:Retrieved 23 April 2015
734:"D.R. Wijewardene life"
393:Supreme Court of Ceylon
298:Don Richard Wijewardena
203:University of Cambridge
111:Don Richard Wijewardana
87:Don Richard Wijewardena
53:more precise citations.
836:Working towards reform
647:President of Sri Lanka
635:President of Sri Lanka
581:Ponnambalam Ramanathan
558:Royal Hospital Chelsea
548:D. R. Wijewardena and
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1019:Sri Lankan barristers
623:Esmond Wickremesinghe
539:
532:Independence movement
436:Ceylon Light Infantry
357:Gopal Krishna Gokhale
349:Peterhouse, Cambridge
314:Lake House newspapers
286:Ceylon Light Infantry
264:Years of service
1029:Sri Lankan Buddhists
969:Wijewardene Ancestry
667:University of Ceylon
627:Ranil Wickremasinghe
258:Ceylon Defence Force
1024:Ceylonese advocates
619:Arcadia, Diyatalawa
590:Temperance movement
1064:Wijewardena family
1014:Sri Lankan lawyers
583:against Sir (Dr.)
562:Dominion of Ceylon
546:
542:Dominion of Ceylon
504:Ceylon Independent
496:. Renaming it the
457:for dinner at the
455:O. C. Tillekeratne
643:J. R. Jayewardene
499:Ceylon Daily News
446:, he served as a
432:Second Lieutenant
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639:Francis Molamure
607:Meedeniya Adigar
554:Kingdom of Kandy
494:F. R. Senanayake
463:Echelon Barracks
426:that led to the
369:Bachelor of Laws
365:Bachelor of Arts
239:Military service
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121:23 February 1886
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102:Personal details
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49:this article by
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478:language daily
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155:Alice Meedeniya
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508:Tamil language
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459:officer's mess
440:volunteer unit
413:W. A. de Silva
401:Unofficial Bar
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361:A. E. de Silva
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741:. Retrieved
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573:E. W. Perera
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550:E. W. Perera
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518:The Observer
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409:James Peiris
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383:Early career
377:Inner Temple
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178:Residence(s)
135:(1950-06-13)
133:13 June 1950
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59:October 2019
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999:1950 deaths
994:1886 births
852:Gaveshaka.
469:Press baron
444:World War I
306:press baron
213:Press Baron
142:Nationality
51:introducing
988:Categories
950:2 February
899:2 February
894:Daily News
705:References
526:Beira Lake
513:Thinakaran
448:Lieutenant
428:1915 riots
397:Hulftsdorp
326:Muhandiram
320:Early life
276:Lieutenant
244:Allegiance
233:Lake House
219:Profession
209:Occupation
194:Alma mater
117:1886-02-23
34:references
944:pemsaa.uk
373:barrister
267:1915-1917
229:Known for
223:Barrister
168:Parent(s)
146:Ceylonese
738:Silumina
678:See also
593:and the
481:Dinamina
389:advocate
160:Children
556:to the
476:Sinhala
461:at the
434:in the
399:in the
391:of the
375:at the
330:Colombo
302:Sinhala
187:Arcadia
47:improve
860:8 July
821:28 May
795:28 May
769:28 May
743:5 June
653:Legacy
601:Family
510:daily
367:and a
248:Ceylon
152:Spouse
36:, but
940:(PDF)
488:from
952:2021
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862:2022
823:2013
797:2013
771:2013
745:2021
657:The
282:Unit
272:Rank
130:Died
107:Born
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