[1] A monthly (later fortnightly, then weekly) sister newspaper, The Overland Observer, commenced in 1840.

[3] Alastair Mackenzie Ferguson joined the staff of The Colombo Observer in 1846 and bought the paper in 1859 after Elliott became the Principal Officer of the newly created Civil Medical Department.

[8] D. R. Wijewardena bought the paper in 1923, adding it to his growing media empire (later known as Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited).

[2] In July 1973 the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led United Front government nationalised ANCL.

[2] The legislation which nationalised the ANCL, the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (Special Provisions) Law No.

28 of 1973, required broad basing of its publications but successive governments have failed to carry this out and ANCL is still the largest newspaper company in Sri Lanka.