Through the pages of time......

1896. The year the inaugural meeting of the ‘Bambalapitiya Recreation Club’ was held at the back of the house of “Ardgowan”, occupied at the time by Mr. F. J. Lucas Fernando of Ceylon. The year the male residents of Havelock Town were offered the perfect spot to drop by for all their recreational and sporting pastimes…

The first home of the BRC was the grounds at the back of F. J. Lucas Fernando’s residence in Bambalapitiya. Not ungrateful but ever hopeful, the members of the BRC, together with other residents of the suburb, put forward a memorial to the government, asking for the opening of a park in the locality. Thus, Havelock Park was formally opened to the public in 1901, and a part of this ground was appointed to the BRC for the laying down of a cricket pitch. And so began the memorable journey of a way-of-life that was also known as “See you at the Club…”!

Year	Event
1901	9th November - BRC wins their first ever cricket match when they beat the Clairmont Cricket Club by 9 runs
1915	31st May – The club is renamed as ‘Burgher recreation Club’. Only those qualified to vote for the Burgher Electorate were eligible for membership
1915	The game of croquet was introduced
1921	The Proprietary Members Scheme was launched but later wound up on the 31st of December 1930
1922	A new pavilion was built and opened by the Mayor of Colombo
1926	BRC elected as the Cricket Champions of the Year. His Excellency the Governor of Colombo, Sir Hugh Clifford attended the function
1928	17th February – Mr. C.K Joachim gifts the club with an electric wall clock
1932	10th October – The BRC Ladies’ Hockey Section was launched
1935	The Burgher Education Fund was initiated by Mr. M.E.A.La Harpe
1936	The Students Section in Cricket and Soccer was launched
1938	President of the Club, Dr. V.R. Schokman elected Mayor of Colombo
1941	7th April – CMC asks if the BRC will vacate the grounds, as the CMC was considering opening the park to the general public
1942	January – British Admiralty takes over the Club pavilion at Havelock Park for naval use. The Club moves to No. 33, Dawson Road, Havelock Town on 1st February
1942	April – The Club moves to No. 50, Dickman Road, after the previous location was requisitioned for military use. BRC members were offered use of the Dutch Burgher Union Tennis Club down Bullers Road on three days of the week
1946	1st July – BRC moves to ‘Delhurst’, No 14, Dawson Road, Havelock Town
1946	27th December – BRC celebrates 50 years with a dance at the Colombo Town Hall
1947	B.R.Heyn elected Captain of the Ceylon Cricket team that went to Madras. B.R. Heyn captained Ceylon in two branches of sports, cricket and hockey
1952	Carnival held at the Club grounds
1952	11th June – A Ladies Section was incorporated into the Club. Misses C.A. Walles, N.P. Kelaart and D.C Kelaart were the first lady members to be elected. It was also decided that membership be opened to all citizens of Ceylon
1953	Under the Captaincy of B.R.Heyn, BRC are joint winners with SSC and the NCC of the P. Sara Trophy
1954	BRC are joint winners with Colt CC for the P. Sara Trophy
1955	1st January – Provident Fund for BRC employees was introduced. Havelock Seniors win the Soft Ball Tournament trophy
1956	December – BRC celebrates its Diamond Jubilee with a dance at the Mount Lavinia Hotel BRC won the P. Sara Trophy under the Captaincy of Ernie Kelaart.
1957	Mr. Edmund Reiners, MBE Vice Patron, honored by the Queen of Netherlands for his research of the Dutch in Ceylon
1961	25th November – BRC inaugurates a Seven-a-Side Ladies Hockey Tournament for the Bill Ingram Challenge Cup
1961	23rd December – 5th Anniversary dance held at Tropicana, Horton Place, Colombo 07
1966	29th December – Dinner in honour of Major General B. Russell Heyn, in honour of his appointment as Commander of the Army
1969	August – BRC conducts a Six-a-Side Cricket Tournament
1973	BRC is affiliated to the Billiards Association and Control Council