Cornish College

Cornish College officially opened in 2012, although it already had a rich history of offering something different in education, stemming from its roots as St Leonard’s Patterson River campus. In 1980 Richard Cornish, Principal of St Leonard’s College, purchased 114 acres next to Patterson River for a new campus. An innovative educator, Cornish intended it be used for environmental, horticultural and agricultural studies; for sporting facilities; and as a feeder school for Prep – Year 8 students who would progress to St Leonard’s Brighton for Years 9 – 12.

When it opened, the school consisted of 72 students, five form teachers and eight classrooms. Key staff included the Head of Campus, Rev John Donnell; Educational Director, Graeme Morgan; and Michael Davis, who later became the only staff member to have been part of the whole journey from St Leonard’s to the current day.

The early years saw important changes at the school. When Donnell took long service leave, Wendy Adams became the Head of Campus and was key in developing and implementing innovative thematic courses of study. The campus was renamed the Richard Cornish campus – Cornish for short – creating a sense of tradition and community bolstered by enthusiastic staff, students and parents from Brighton, who assisted with planting thousands of trees around the campus.

In 1990 Kerry Bolger became the new Head of Campus. He further shaped the educational approach by re-emphasising environmental education and the farm ecosystem, adding a garden of indigenous plants and broadening subject choices for students. He also sought to establish the campus as its own, fostering connections between Cornish and the wider community.