subject: Olifant Estate- The First Tea Estate In Sri Lanka [print this page] Tea is perhaps Sri Lankas most famous export, but in the way of many successful ventures, the introduction of tea to the country was purely circumstantial. During the days of the British Raj following the colonization of the central part of Sri Lanka during the mid 1800s, lands were distributed among European immigrants for a paltry sum. They were encouraged to grow a variety of crops on these lands for export to England and other parts of Europe. The crop of choice amongst these European planters was initially coffee, since the cool climate and the high altitude suited coffee plantations well.
However, a few years after the plant was introduced, a mystery disease struck the plant and almost every coffee plantation on the island was affected. In order to save the planters from going bankrupt, the British government encouraged the growing of tea, which was more labor intensive but was nonetheless successful in the neighboring colony of India. Little did they know that within a few decades, Sri Lanka would become the producer of the finest brown tea in the world, an accolade that the country proudly wears today. Disproving the theory that quality has to be sacrificed for quantity, Sri Lanka is also the largest exporter of tea in the world.
The Olifant Estate, which is located in the hills of Nuwara Eliya in the central mountainous region of the country, plays an important role in the development of tea culture in Sri Lanka. Sir Anthony Olifant was a wealthy British lawyer who lived in an affluent part of Colombo; he purchased an estate which is today known as the famous Olifant Estate. According to historical sources, Sir Anthony, despite being a man of law, was ostentatious enough to smuggle a consignment of tea plants from China to be planted on his estate.
Thus, the Olifant Estate became the first tea plantation in Sri Lanka, albeit illegally. In the following years the trend would catch on and government backing would make tea the most popular export of Sri Lanka, but Olifant Estate would remain for history buffs as the trailblazer in the industry. Located in the cool climes of the hill country, the estate can be accessed easily by travelers staying at a bungalow in Nuwara Eliya. Excellent opportunities for the exploration of the beautiful scenery in the central mountainous region are afforded by Nuwara Eliya bungalowsuch as the Jetwing Warwick Gardens, one of the leading hotels in the district.
