Nostalgic Pictorial Excursions in and around My Galle Fort

Michael Roberts

I was born and bred in Galle Fort, living there in Pedlar Street and then in Middle Street in houses rented from Muslim moor landlords by my retired father, T. W. Roberts, of the CCS. I visit the place whenever I can and several pictures taken during the last ten years are inserted within this collection… with Images by Michael Roberts, where not otherwise specified

 Dutch-style verandahs –here in a house being repaired with a chain gang transferring clusters of tiles –yes, tiles — Up-Catch-Shift-Place. Wow, efficient-Pic by Roberts

 Galle Fort in yesteryear

 A Scene in front to the Fort in the 1890s  or thereabouts–Pic from National Gallery of Australia

Fishermen at it in the 1930s along the rocks at the foot of the ramparts, western side … a common sight even in the 1950s but now unlikely in the same style of garments —Pics by Lincoln Pereira 

SCENES TODAY: THE WATERLINE off the Fort… my teenage playground

 

FULL FRONTAL: The Imposing Ramparts

The VOC crest over the original harbour entrance … and from inside

 Pic by Dr. Janaka Gallangoda

The Galle Literary Festival in January 2008

 The Eateries– essential fare! Vikram Seth autographs Bron’s copy

AN AERIAL OVERVIEW

 Pic from unknown source

GALLE AS QUIET AS ASLEEP by Norah Roberts Vijitha Yapa Publications

 … with cover design from Donald Friend’s Mural Imaginings of Galle in the P & O era of the late 19th century …

…….. and, then, on 26th December 2004 … there was the UNIMAGINABLE: a tsunami, THE TSUNAMI, hit the eastern, southern and south-western coasts of Sri Lanka

 Pic from Sunday Times …………………. many people died at this bus-stand and along the coasts on both sides of the Fort; but no one in the Fort was hurt … the Dutch fortifications stood the test…. while one fishing trawler is said to have made it over the southern wall into the Fort, presumably without crew!