List of Burgher people

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
 * 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
 * Jack Hingert - Australian-born Sri Lankan footballer
 * Wade Dekker - Australian soccer player
 * Sam Durrant - English-Sri Lankan footballer.
 * Oliver Kelaart - Australian-born Sri Lankan footballer.