Sir Kanthiah Vaithianathan, the first
Permanent Secretary to the
Ministry of External Affairs and Defence took the decision to establish a cantonment in Panagoda in 1949 with the formation of the Ceylon Army that year. In 1950, 350 acres of land was purchased by the government and construction began on 10 October 1952 and was completed in 1959. Prime Minister
Wijeyananda Dahanayake ceremonially opened the main building on 22 December 1959. Since then it had functioned as a
Brigade, the Western Command, the Support Force Command and was re-designated as the headquarters of the
1 Division. On 15 July 1997, it was re-designated headquarters of the
11 Division. On 23 September 2009, the Security Forces Headquarters – South was formed at the Panagoda Cantonment. On 15 November 2012 Security Forces Headquarters – South was renamed as the
Security Forces Headquarters – West. ==List of regiment which has its regimental headquarters at the Panagoda Cantonment==