Unity • Culture • Service
About the Ceylon Tamil Association
The Ceylon Tamil Association (CTA) of South Australia is a proud community organisation dedicated to preserving Tamil culture, language, and heritage while supporting social, educational, and cultural growth. For decades, CTA has been a unifying force for Tamil Australians, creating opportunities to celebrate our traditions, empower our youth, and strengthen our shared identity within South Australia’s multicultural community.
Who are we?
The Ceylon Tamil Association of South Australia aims to provide the Sri Lankan communities with relationships that will enrich and improve quality of life. The team at Ceylon Tamil Association of South Australia (CTA) provide support, counseling and leisure opportunities for community members and their families in addition to the general care and other services available.
CTA was founded in 1983 by a group of early migrant Tamils from Sri Lanka as a social platform to foster kinship among these new Tamil immigrants and to support community members in this new environment. These early Tamils immigrants were highly skilled individuals who left Sri Lanka due to political and economic instability.
The CTA played a vital role at this time in the Australian Government’s decision to allow many distressed Tamil families to migrate to Australia. These new arrivals migrated under the Humanitarian Assistance Visa and faced many logistical and other psycho social problems. In dealing with these issues they were well supported by the CTA in overcoming social isolation and becoming empowered for the long process of resettlement.
The first Tamil school was established by the CTAin 1988. The school laid the foundations as stated in the objectives of the CTA constitution to preserve and cherish Tamil cultural roots.
The Tamil Schools play an important role in the dissemination of knowledge to the younger generations, about our cultural heritage and to reinforce their identity as Australians of Tamil origin.
CTA invests significant effort and energy in the development of the Tamil Schools to further the knowledge of Tamil language, art and culture which are at the very foundation of CTA’s aims.
CTA maintains functional links with other like minded Tamil Associations both in Australia and abroad. Within our sphere of influence CTA strives to facilitate and support initiatives in disaster recoveries and economic development and re-development.
CTA also works with the Australian government and non-governmental agencies to develop and implement community development programs in support of its aims.
Our CTA School
Adelaide Tamil Language School
Adelaide Tamil Language School is where your child will learn Tamil language and culture in a friendly and social atmosphere. Established in 1988, Adelaide Tamil Language School continues to be a cultural and learning centre for students from Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia and Singapore.
The School is committed to continuous improvement in the educational standards achieved in Tamil language by its students.
The School curriculum is developed based on the guidelines from the New South Wales Tamil Federation. Teachers at the School are trained by the Ethnic School Association of SA to deliver the best results in the teaching Tamil language for students living in Australia.
Weekly Tamil classes are conducted for children from Kindergarten to SACE level and are held every Saturday afternoon (2:30 – 5:00 pm) during school term at Charles Campbell College, 3 Campbell Road, Paradise SA 5075.
It is strongly recommended that all Tamil people become a part of school to create a great learning environment that enriches our traditions for our children.