Central Province Governor Professor Harsha Suranga Fernando has inspected restoration work under way at the historic Nuwara Eliya Post Office, pressing officials to ensure the building’s archaeological character is not damaged in the process.
Post Office Officer-in-Charge N. M. S. Weerasinghe told the Governor that roof restoration is being carried out under the guidance of the Department of Archaeology, while the construction work itself has been entrusted to the Sri Lanka Navy’s construction division.
Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr. Madhura Seneviratne and Nuwara Eliya Mayor Upali Wanigasekara joined the inspection.
A working post office and a landmark
The two-storey red-brick building dates from 1894 and was built in the Tudor style during the British colonial period. Its clock tower is among the most recognisable structures in the hill-country town, and the building continues to operate as a working post office while drawing a steady stream of visitors.
That dual role — public service counter and tourist attraction — is the reason the restoration is being handled under archaeological supervision rather than as ordinary maintenance. The site was gazetted as a protected archaeological monument on 23 February 2007, which places restrictions on how work may be carried out.
The building has been the subject of heritage concern before. In May, activists from the Nuwara Eliya Protection Organization alleged that police had failed to act over a colonial-era copper lightning conductor removed from the building, a complaint the local Crimes Division OIC rejected. The Department of Archaeology had issued a directive to police calling for a full investigation.
Hiru News, which reported the Governor’s visit, described it as having taken place “recently” and did not give a date for the inspection. It was the only verified newsroom carrying the visit at the time of writing.
Source: Hiru News.
