This is a list of notable Burgher people, who are a Eurasian ethnic group, historically from Sri Lanka, consisting for the most part of male-line descendants of European colonists from the 16th to 20th centuries (mostly Portuguese, Dutch, German and British) and local women, with some minorities of French and Irish.
Academics
E. F. C. Ludowyk – Professor of English, Dean of the School of Arts, University of Ceylon Prof. E. O. E. Pereira – founding Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Ceylon; Vice Chancellor Peradeniya
Civil servants
Major General Bertram Heyn – Commander of Ceylon Army; cricket, field hockey and rugby star Neville Jansz – Sri Lankan diplomat M. C. Sansoni – Puisne Judge and then Chief Justice Sir Francis Soertsz – Supreme Court Judge Wilhelm Woutersz – Sri Lankan diplomat Dr. Richard Gerald Anthonisz - First Colonial Secretary and Chief Archivist of the National Archives of Ceylon.
Professionals
Cecil Balmond – Structural engineer and architectural theoretician
Louis Edmund Blaze – Educator and founder of Kingswood College, Kandy
Frederick Dornhorst – Lawyer
Artists
Jean Arasanayagam (née Solomonsz) – poet and painter
William Wright Beling – painter and father of Geoffrey Beling
George Keyt – painter and founding member of Colombo '43 Group
J. L. K. van Dort – 19th-century artist
Lionel Wendt – photographer and founder of the Colombo '43 Group
Authors
David Blacker – author and blogger, winner of the State Literary Award for Best Novel in 2006 Michelle de Kretser - Australian novelist Carl Muller – prolific author of many books including The Jam Fruit Tree, The Yakada Yaka, Once Upon a Tender Time and Children of the Lion Michael Ondaatje – Canadian poet and author of numerous novels, including The English Patient Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha – poet and activist Rosemary Rogers – best-selling author of romance novels in the USA; has been on the New York Times best-sellers list Vivimarie Vanderpoorten – poet, winner of Gratiaen Prize 2009
Journalists
Frederica Jansz – Sri Lanka journalist, editor of The Sunday Leader
Politics
Peter Daniel Anthonisz – first President of the Ceylon Branch of British Medical Association; member of the Legislative Council Professor David de Kretser – professor and Director for the Institute of Reproduction and Development, Monash University; former Governor of Victoria, Australia Pieter Keuneman – Sri Lankan politician Quint Ondaatje – Dutch patriot and politician Beverley Pinder – Councillor, City of Melbourne, Australia; former Miss Australia
Chefs
Geoff Jansz – Australian TV chef
Charmaine Solomon – Australian resident chef and well-known writer of Asian cookbooks
Musicians and entertainers
Vasanthi Chathurani – actress
Elaine Cole – baila dancer
Danielle de Niese – Australian-American opera singer
Stuart de Silva – Sri Lankan jazz pianist and actor
Jamie Durie – Australian media personality
Jacqueline Fernandez – actor; Miss Universe 2006 contestant
Cliff Foenander – musician
Anton Jones – baila singer
Desmond Kelly – Australian musician; actor
Alston Koch – Australian musician
Douglas Meerwald – singer
Keith Potger – musician; member of The Seekers; founder of The New Seekers
Gresha Schuilling – musician
Guy Sebastian – Australian singer
Gina Zamparelli – Los Angeles-based concert promoter
Fashion and models
Nigel Barker – fashion photographer
Ramani Bartholomeusz – actress and model, represented Sri Lanka in the Miss Universe 1985 pageant Sabrina Herft – Miss Sri Lanka for Miss Universe 2012 Maureen Hingert – represented Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) when Ceylon took part for the first time at the 1954 Miss Universe pageant; second runner-up Dannielle Kerkoven – model and Former Miss Sri Lanka for Miss. World-2006
Athletes
Graeme Labrooy – former Sri Lankan cricketer
Sir Christopher Ondaatje – former athlete; philanthropist
Laddie Outschoorn – England cricketer (Worcestershire County Cricket Club, 1946–1959); Cap 1948 Michael Vandort – Sri Lankan cricketer Jeffrey Vandersay - Sri Lankan cricketer Duncan White – Sri Lankan (then Ceylonese) 440m silver medalist at the London Olympics in 1948; gold medalist 1950 Empire games