By Mr. Dulip Jayawardana
Willie Herath had his primary and secondary education at St. Anthony’s College, Kandy and graduating from the Banaras Hindu University, joined the Geological Survey Department (Present GSMB), in 1952 as an Assistant Geologist. In 1953 he was award a scholarship for training in geology and proceeded to the University of Adelaide Australia. Hearth’s scholarship was extended for a further year to enable him to be trained at the Building Research Division of Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) in 1956 under Dr Hosking, who subsequently visited Sri Lanka to advice the establishment of a modern Brick and Tile industry. In addition ,Herath spent a field season with a party from the Department of Mines , South Australia mapping an area of Precambrian rocks.
In 1966, Herath was awarded a Post-Graduate scholarship under the Colombo Plan Technical Cooperation scheme and proceeded to the University of Leeds, United Kingdom and was admitted to the Post-Graduate School of Applied Sciences for research on Sri Lankan clays and ceramic raw materials. Heb was awarded the PhD in 1969.
Herath was also responsible in establishing close links with the Department of Mining of the University of Leeds and the University of Katubedda, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka in establishing the Mining and materials Sciences Department.
Herath mapped and complied geological maps covering Ratnapura, Rakwana , Maha Oya etc. Further, he was responsible for advising the Ceylon Ceramic Corporation on use of ceramic raw materials such as feldspar, quartz, ball clay, kaolin etc for manufacture of high quality ceramics in their factories .Herath also advised on use of local of brick and tile clays in all the brick and tile factories established throughout the island. Herath was also a Technical Advisor to Noritake Ltd when the first porcelain factory was established at Rattota in the Matale District.
It is remarkable that Herath during his long professional career of over 50 years was involved in multidisciplinary studies in all aspects of earth sciences with much emphasis on industrial applications of economically exploitable mineral resources in Sri Lanka as well as oceanographic studies and assessment of off shore minerals.
During his short stay as Director of the Geological Survey Department, Herath was responsible in re- structuring the Department by creating various Divisions and appointed sectional heads who were sent for advanced training to United Kingdom.
In 1976, Herath was appointed as the Commonwealth Geological Liaison Officer and was released by the government to take up his post in London and was the only Sri Lankan to hold this post.
Upon Herath’s return to Sri Lanka in 1979, he was appointed as the Director , Scientific Affairs of the Ministry of industries and Scientific Affairs.
On retirement from government service in 1982, Herath was appointed to the post of Director, Oceanography and Marine geology of the newly established National Aquatic Resources and research Agency (NARA) of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and served in this post until 1985.
From 1986 to 1990 Herath served as UNIDO National Project Director of the Ceramic Research and Development Centre , Lanka Ceramics Ltd and was responsible in establishing a state of the art modern Ceramic Research Laboratory .
In 1991 Hearth was appointed Technical Director to the Ministry of Minerals and Mineral Based industries and held this post till 1993 and from 1994 -1997 and he was the Technical Director and Consultant to the Ministry of Industrial Development.