cm unveils bust of john sullivan, father of ooty

Tamilnadu Chief Minister M.K Stalin today unveiled the statue John Sullivan the founder and architect of Ootacamundtown as part of the commemoration celebration to mark the 200 years of the town’s founding.The bust of John Sullivan sculpted with alloy metal has been installed on the Botanical Garden Road at a cost of Rs. 20 lakhs.

Born in the year 1788 in London, Sullivan joined East India Company’s service as a clerk when he was 15 years old. His father also worked for East India Company in Thanjavur and surrounding places where he established English medium educational institutions.  In 1806 John Sulivan was appointed as Registrar, South Arcot District Court.  Between 1815 and 1830 John Sullivan worked as the Collector of Coimbatore District. It was in 1819 he discovered Nilgiris on February 22. On the same year he reached Ootacamund with the help of a French naturalist and the Badaga community who inhabited the hills. 
He built the first house there in stone which still stands today within the Government Arts College campus. 

Latter with an idea to promote the place as a summer resort he brought in several  settlers. To enable each reach a foot path was laid from Sirumugai in the year 1820. Several exotic flora of vegitables, fruits and flowers from Europe were brought to Nilgiris. 
A lake was created in the middle of Ootacamund and water for the lake was channeled from several hill streams. John Sullivan retired and returned with his family to England in 1841. He is credited with the establishing the Ooty Municipality 200 years ago.  It is to honour the founder of the town ,his bust has been installed in the intersection of three roads on the Botanical Garden Road.

Present at the unveiling of the statue were M.P Swaminathan, Minister for Information, K. Ramachandaran, Minister for Forests and Environment, A. Raja, Member of the Parliament, Mr. S. P Amrith, Nilgiris District Collector, local body representatives and officials.