History of CSM
The Camborne School of Mines began life in 1888 as one of three full-time mining schools established in Cornwall, which was among the most important and influential metalliferous mining regions worldwide. Shortly after its formation, Mr Pendarves, a local mineral owner reported that the school had: “...a total of 189 students and the whole of the other mining schools of Cornwall could not come up to anything like that, if they were all put together.”
By the early 1900s, the Camborne School had several facilities at its disposal including classrooms, offices, chemical and metallurgical laboratories, and a geological museum plus lecture rooms. King Edward Mine had also been acquired for practical training in both underground and surface work.
The three schools were amalgamated to form the School of Metalliferous Mining, and continued to flourish. For many, employment overseas was the favoured option and graduates were already be found in most of the world's major mining areas such as Southern Africa, Malaysia, Australia, South America, Mexico, USA and Canada. This adaptation to globalisation within the minerals industry strengthened CSM’s position as a leading international educational institution – a position it still enjoys today.
CSM was located in the centre of Camborne for almost a century but, following major investment by the international mining industry and others, relocated in 1975 to purpose-built facilities mid-way between Camborne and Redruth. In 1993, CSM was incorporated into the University of Exeter. Initiatives by the University of Exeter and others to expand Higher Education provision in Cornwall came to fruition in 1999 with the launch of the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) Initiative, with CSM relocating to its current location at Tremough during summer 2004.
