General Treasury Building
Encyclopedia
The General Treasury Building (also known as the Treasury or the Treasury Building) is the building that houses the Treasury of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Finance & Planning along with several of its departments. It was formally known as the Secretariat Building therefore it is still officially referred to as the The Secretariat. It is situated in the Colombo fort next to the Old Parliament Building, which is now the Presidential Secretariat
.
, the need for a new building to house the council and the civil administration of Ceylon was suggested by Sir
Henry McCallum. A proposal made by a committee to construct the new building for the Secretariat, Council Chamber and Government offices on reclaimed land at the northern end of Galle Face
' was accepted by the Ceylon Government
in 1920. The chief architect of the Public Works Department, A. Woodson, was responsible for the design of the building. The initial estimate of Rs 400,000 for the scheme was later revised by the Public Works Advisory Board to Rs 450,000, taking into account the extra expenses involved. The building was opened on January 29, 1930 by Governor Sir
Herbert Stanley
.
The new building was of two parts, the smaller however the more grandeur Council Chamber
with a Neo-baroque
facade faced the Indian Ocean
to the west. The Secretariat, lager however the more simple building compared to the Council Chamber situated to the east of it.
The Council Chamber
was to house Legislative Council, however it was only for an year as the Legislative Council was replaced by the more powerful State Council of Ceylon
in 1931. The Secretariat housed the civil administration of the colony, with the offices of the Colonial Secretary
and the Treasurer
along with their staff and several government departments. Effectively the two building became the center of the government of the island for the next twenty years till Ceylon gained independence in 1949. For many years after independence the head quarters of the CID
of the Police was based here on the fourth floor which gain much ill fame.
Following independence, new government ministries and departments were set up to carry out policy formulated by the Cabinet of Minsters. Many key departments were housed here including the Treasury and the Ministry of Finance. Soon many of the government ministries and departments moved out of the building to new buildings due their expansion. By the 1950s the building was known as the General Treasury and by the 1980s the building was completely occupied by the Ministry of Finance and its departments.
Presidential Secretariat
The Presidential Secretariat is the office of the President of Sri Lanka. It provides the administrative and institutional framework for the exercise of the duties, responsibilities and powers vested in the President by the Constitution....
.
Building
With the expansion of the Legislative Council of CeylonLegislative Council of Ceylon
The Legislative Council of Ceylon was the legislative body of Ceylon established in 1833, along with the Executive Council of Ceylon, on the recommendations of the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission. It was the first form of representative government in the island...
, the need for a new building to house the council and the civil administration of Ceylon was suggested by Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Henry McCallum. A proposal made by a committee to construct the new building for the Secretariat, Council Chamber and Government offices on reclaimed land at the northern end of Galle Face
Galle Face Green
The Galle Face is a promenade which stretches for half kilometre along the coast in the heart of financial and business district of Colombo, Sri Lanka...
' was accepted by the Ceylon Government
British Ceylon
British Ceylon refers to British rule prior to 1948 of the island territory now known as Sri Lanka.-From the Dutch to the British:Before the beginning of the Dutch governance, the island of Ceylon was divided between the Portuguese Empire and the Kingdom of Kandy, who were in the midst of a war for...
in 1920. The chief architect of the Public Works Department, A. Woodson, was responsible for the design of the building. The initial estimate of Rs 400,000 for the scheme was later revised by the Public Works Advisory Board to Rs 450,000, taking into account the extra expenses involved. The building was opened on January 29, 1930 by Governor Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Herbert Stanley
Herbert Stanley
Sir Herbert James Stanley, GCMG was a leading British administrator, who served at different times as Governor of Northern Rhodesia, Ceylon and Southern Rhodesia....
.
The new building was of two parts, the smaller however the more grandeur Council Chamber
Old Parliament Building, Colombo
The Old Parliament Building, is the building that houses the Presidential Secretariat of Sri Lanka. Situated in the Colombo fort facing the sea, it is in close proximity to the President's House, Colombo. The building houses the island's legislature for 53 years until the New Parliament Complex was...
with a Neo-baroque
Neo-baroque
The Baroque Revival or Neo-baroque was an architectural style of the late 19th century. The term is used to describe architecture which displays important aspects of Baroque style, but is not of the Baroque period proper—i.e., the 17th and 18th centuries.Some examples of Neo-baroque architecture:*...
facade faced the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
to the west. The Secretariat, lager however the more simple building compared to the Council Chamber situated to the east of it.
The Council Chamber
Old Parliament Building, Colombo
The Old Parliament Building, is the building that houses the Presidential Secretariat of Sri Lanka. Situated in the Colombo fort facing the sea, it is in close proximity to the President's House, Colombo. The building houses the island's legislature for 53 years until the New Parliament Complex was...
was to house Legislative Council, however it was only for an year as the Legislative Council was replaced by the more powerful State Council of Ceylon
State Council of Ceylon
The State Council of Ceylon was the unicameral legislature for Ceylon , established in 1931 by the Donoughmore Constitution. The State Council gave universal adult franchise to the people of the colony for the first time...
in 1931. The Secretariat housed the civil administration of the colony, with the offices of the Colonial Secretary
Chief Secretary
The Chief Secretary is the title of a senior civil servant in members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and, historically, in the British Empire. Prior to the dissolution of the colonies, the Chief Secretary was the second most important official in a colony of the British Empire after the...
and the Treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
along with their staff and several government departments. Effectively the two building became the center of the government of the island for the next twenty years till Ceylon gained independence in 1949. For many years after independence the head quarters of the CID
CID
-Criminal investigation:* Criminal Investigation Department, the branch of British police forces and many other Commonwealth police forces to which plain clothes detectives belong...
of the Police was based here on the fourth floor which gain much ill fame.
Following independence, new government ministries and departments were set up to carry out policy formulated by the Cabinet of Minsters. Many key departments were housed here including the Treasury and the Ministry of Finance. Soon many of the government ministries and departments moved out of the building to new buildings due their expansion. By the 1950s the building was known as the General Treasury and by the 1980s the building was completely occupied by the Ministry of Finance and its departments.
See also
- Old Parliament Building, ColomboOld Parliament Building, ColomboThe Old Parliament Building, is the building that houses the Presidential Secretariat of Sri Lanka. Situated in the Colombo fort facing the sea, it is in close proximity to the President's House, Colombo. The building houses the island's legislature for 53 years until the New Parliament Complex was...
- Republic Building