Michaela Meade
A Doreen resident has been initiated into the College of Bards of Gorsedh Kernow.
The bards of Gorsedh Kernow help to maintain the national Celtic spirit of Cornwall by studying their own Cornish history and culture.
Doreen’s Ken Peak, the current president of the Cornish Association of Victoria, was initiated into the college earlier this month and said he was surprised by the “completely unexpected” honour.
“[It] has been a very humbling experience,” Mr Peak said.
“I was initiated by proxy, as there was no way this year we would travel to Cornwall.
“However, the Bardic Ceremony, which included the initiation of new bards, was streamed live from Cornwall and so I was able to watch it from home.
“One day I will get to Cornwall again for one of these ceremonies in the future.”
Mr Peak is the third in his extended family to be made a bard and said there were a great number of Australians with Cornish roots.
“More than 700,000 Australians identify themselves as having Cornish heritage,” he said.
“Many of these folk, like me, have Cornish ancestors who emigrated to Australia to work in the mines or on the Australian Goldfields in the 19th century.
“These people helped forge our nation.
“I am deeply honoured to be welcomed as a Bard of Cornwall.”
