Established on 16 April 1975 at a meeting in the Old Toongabbie Methodist Schoolroom, the Cornish Association of Sydney was formed - now renamed the Cornish Association of New South Wales ( CANSW ) We celebrate our 50 years on 16 April, 2025 (stay tuned)

Membership (which is by household) is currently just 74 households, covering about 120 people across NSW. We are very small, and widely spread, so new members are always welcome! 45% of our members are outside Sydney, and %5 outside NSW. There is plenty of room for growth as there are many Cornish people working or retired in Australia, and up to 2% (or over 100,000 people) in the State of NSW have strong Cornish ancestry, starting in 1788 with the arrival of convict Cornishman James Ruse and his countrymen on the First Fleet! Why not contact us?

The CANSW follows an earlier association/s which was established in the late 1880s and lasted well past the 1920s, with some such existence known until the 1950s. The modern CANSW was formed by post-WWII Cornish immigrants for social and cultural activities but soon gained many members of Cornish descent (up to the 6th generation). Now members have a wide range of interests and reasons for belonging.

Today, the CANSW has people with interests covering a broad scope: Old and modern Cornish culture, migration, history, language, music, dance, food, Celtic connections, family history, Cornish heritage (in Cornwall and Australia [Stories Site]), Cornwall today, social contact, and more. Members receive 6 newsletters per year, which are also lodged as ISSN with the NSW State Library and Australian National Library, plus on NED.

MENU - Jump straight to: | NSW Cornish heritage 'Stories Site' | About our Association | Membership | Contacts |
| Members Research & Information | | Members Library (under work) | | Previous Talks and Papers (under work) | | Frequently asked questions (under consideration) | | Coming events | Honoured Members

Latest News: .. Next Association event/s - meet via Zoom (Next is our Winter Zoom session in late July) - and other in person events to be advised .. See more about us, the Cornish and Cornwall on this website. .. Contact Secretary for more details ... end ..
This banner for latest news is updated only as new information is to hand

The Stories Site covers a wide range of Cornish heritage and history in NSW.

Do take a tour via this link: Stories Site - Welcome page

CANSW Heritage projects in Australia in the Stories Site include:

< Byng and its Chapel: The story from the 1840s to the present day.
Some of the pages which make up the Cornish Settlement or Byng story on the site: The Cornish Settlement starts: Byng & its Chapel, Bethel Rock and 'Parson' Tom, A Visit to the Orange & District Historical Museum - William Tom's Pipe Organ & a Tribute to William & Ann Tom, Wesleyan Baptisms at Byng, Wesleyan Cemetery Records at Byng, The First Australian Payable Gold Discovery.

< Cadia Engine House : A story of stabilisation and repair, together with many stories of Cadia Village and the opening of the new copper/gold mine.

And there is much more about the Cobar Cornish Family and Mining, the story of a Bal Maiden who recognised copper ore shown her

Navigate your 'tour' or go to pages of interest via the Menu at the left hand side of all those pages

More about our Association

The CANSW has close contact with the other Cornish Associations in Australia and also is a member of the Celtic Council of Australia (in NSW) through which it is affiliated with the Ethnic Communities Council of NSW. Interchange with those other Cornish Associations, other Celtic communities, and many kindred Cornish groups in Cornwall and around the world, takes place regularly.

Members have extra access to a range of web pages covering: membership renewal form, sample newsletters, many talks & articles, list of sales items and our large library listing for members use, etc. For Cornish Association members resources, research, and library

The AGM is held on the Saturday closest to St Piran's Day (5th March), and membership (which is by household) starts then and runs for 12 months. Six (6) Newsletters per year are mailed, or if you wish, emailed in pdf form to members. Our Newsletter carry ISSN identification and are lodged at the State Library of NSW and the National Library in Canberra. Since 2020 lodged in NED (National Electronic Desposit.

Meetings, functions, and activities are held about 3 times a year - AGM and function in Sydney in March, end of Year Lunch in Sydney, a function in Glen Innes in May, and from time in other areas of NSW.

Involvement with Cornish Associations and their activities interstate (eg. Kernewek Lowender in South Australia, and Victorian Celtic Festivals) is a key part of the Associations programme as are involvement in other Celtic Festivals (eg. the Australian Celtic Festival at Glen Innes).

As part of the on-going Calendar, there is Association attendance in May at the Australian Celtic Festival at Glen Innes in the north of NSW. In the past there were heritage activities at the old Cornish Settlement and Chapel at Byng (near Orange), and occasionally such other operations as those at Cadia and Cobar.


Glen Innes Celtic Festival 2012


You would be very welcome, wherever you live!

Find out what Events are coming up in the CANSW Calendar. You would be very welcome at any of them.

Annual Subscription is A$15.00 per household. Our term is annually from the day after the AGM, usually near St Pirans Day (5th March) to the next one - but you may join at any time.

To enquire about Membership write to the Secretary at the address shown below, or
Send an E-mail to the Secretary at kevrenor@ozemail.com.au

Get your CANSW Objects & Rules of Association in PDF here: Objects & Rules
Membership / Renewal Form
Download Membership Form
(in pdf) - download and / or print, and fill in - then post to us with your cheque, or take a photo and email (after depositing the fee in our bank).

Get CANSW information flyers here: What do these names have in common? AND/OR Cornish Recipes of the CANSW?
If you would like to learn more about Cornwall and Cornish culture, some of the wider activities associated with its members, or Cornish communities around the world you can use the following links provided by the CANSW Secretary:

Kernewek - the Celtic Cornish language that is alive: A Basic Cornish Dictionary for your interest. More coming! For local Some information on the Celtic Cornish language - Word for the month "Lowender" meaning - Festivities
Music! More coming on music and songs, but for now listen to the Ragged Band singing an anthem for Cornwall - Trelawney
Sing along with Jim Wearne from the USA: 'This isn't England!'

Interested in 'Cornish First Names' for children

Or perhaps you would like Cornish Food (incl some recipes)

For information about The Bards of Cornwall in Australia web site and the story of the John Symonds look at the Gathering in 2003

Overseas and local link suggestions:

Contacts:

CANSW President, and Treasurer:

Joy Dunkerley, 34 Circular Avenue, Sawtell NSW 2452
Tel: 0428 617 830
Email: President

CANSW Hon. Secretary; and for membership, newsletter editor and website:

Chris Dunkerley, 34 Circular Avenue, Sawtell NSW 2452
Tel: 0409 393 059
Email for enquiries and general correspondence: kevrenor@ozemail.com.au

Family History interest contact: Doreen Davis, email: doreen.davis11@bigpond.com

Kindred Cornish Association in Australia and NZ :

Cornish Associations in Australia & NZ - Cowethasow Kernewek yn Australya ha Mordyr Noweth
(Access to Cornish Associations in Australia (SA, NSW, Victoria (incl Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong Branches); plus NZ)

Sites Story web pages compiled and produced by the late John Symonds for the CANSW and the balance of the site by Chris Dunkerley for the CANSW, and currently hosted on the domain and servers of the Celtic Council of Australia.
First created on 17 April 1997 - This page last Updated: 30 March, 2023 ( 26th year on the web!)
© CANSW 1996 - 2023
Cornish Association of New South Wales (CANSW)