Byng and its Chapel: The story from the 1840s to the present day.
Established in 1974, the Cornish Association of New South Wales (CANSW), formerly the Cornish Association of Sydney, is the equal second oldest Cornish Association in Australia, and the second largest. Membership by household is 172, covering over 300 people. There is plenty of room for growth as 2% (or over 100,000 people) in the State of NSW have Cornish ancestry!
The CANSW follows an earlier association which was established in the late 1880s and lasted well past the 1920s. 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 activities over a broad scope: Old and modern Cornish culture, history, language, music, dance, food, Celtic connections, family history, Cornish heritage (in Cornwall and Australia), Cornwall today, social contact, an Annual Cornish Day in June and a Biennial Cornish Heritage Weekend, and more.
CANSW Heritage projects in Australia include:
Byng and its Chapel: The story from the 1840s to the present day.
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 and the stories told at Kernewek Lowender 2003 and 2005.
You can go to our Webmaster's home page to find all of these project stories.
The CANSW is a member of the Australian Federation of Cornish Associations (in close contact with the other 8 Cornish Associations in Australia); also of the Celtic Council of Australia (in NSW), through which it is affiliated with the Ethnic Communities Council of NSW. Interchange with Cornish Associations and groups around the world takes place regularly.
If you would like to learn more about some of the activities associated with its members, you can use the following links provided by the CANSW Secretary:
For local Cornish language information
For information about the Bards of Cornwall in Australia.
Find out what Events are coming up in the CANSW Calendar. You would be very welcome at any of them.
Find out more about the Australian Federation of Cornish Associations.
Investigate our Cornish Surname Interests and Family Queries Page where family researchers are seeking information.
The AGM is held on the Saturday closest to St Piran's Day (5th March). Nine Newsletters per year are posted to members. Meetings are held generally in different parts of Sydney. Four Family History Meetings are held each year, centred on Strathfield. As part of the Calendar, there is Association attendance in May at the Australian Celtic Festival at Glen Innes in the north of NSW, heritage activities at the old Cornish Settlement and Chapel at Byng (near Orange), and such other operations as those at Cadia and Cobar.
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.
Joy Dunkerley, 21 Cliff Road, Epping NSW 2121
Tel: (02) 9876 2893
Email: jdunkerley@optusnet.com.au
Chris Dunkerley, 21 Cliff Road, Epping, NSW 2121
Tel: (02) 9876 2893 Fax: (02) 9876 2618
Email: kevrenor@ozemail.com.au
Maxine Gray, 14 Janice Crescent, Moss Vale NSW 2577
Tel: (02) 4869 4958
Email: maxrose@optusnet.com.au
Dr. John Symonds, 14 Taloombi Street, Cronulla NSW 2230
Tel: (02) 9523 2247
Email: jlsymo at ozemail.com.au (j l symonds)
Return to John Symonds Home Page
Next to the Byng and Cornish Village story.