Anthony Oliphant

Who was Anthony Oliphant?

Hon. Sir Anthony Oliphant was a British lawyer who was appointed Chief Justice of Ceylon by Her Majesty's Government. Prior to his appointment, Sir Anthony was Attorney General in the Cape Colony.

Sir Anthony lived in Colombo, purchasing a property called 'Alcove,' in Captains Gardens, subsequently known as Maha Nuge Gardens in Colpetty. When the Oliphant family left Ceylon he sold it to Sir Harry Dias. Sir Anthony Oliphant's tea estate, the Oliphant Estate, situated in the hill country in Nuwara Eliya, was the first estate to grow tea in Ceylon, when thirty plants were smuggled from China. Sir Anthony and his son Laurence are both credited with being the first people to grow tea in Ceylon.

Sir Anthony's son, Laurence Oliphant, went on become a well-known author, international traveller, lawyer, and a Member of the House of Commons.