Ros Cornish awarded for significant service to early childhood education administration

‘The children are our future and we have to make sure they are safe’: Ros Cornish has been awarded a King’s Birthday honour. Here’s what it means.

Ros Cornish for King's Birthday honours list for services to early childhood. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

More Tasmanian children have a better start to life thanks to the life’s work of Hobart’s Ros Cornish.

Mrs Cornish was humbled and surprised to be awarded Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division for significant service to early childhood education administration.

Her tireless work for the betterment of children progressed universal access to affordable childcare in Tasmania.

Mrs Cornish got her start in early childhood education when her eldest daughter was about to start school and needed some social interaction with children.

“We went to the local community based childcare centre and before I knew it I was on the management committee,” Mrs Cornish said.

Ros Cornish for King's Birthday honours list for services to early childhood. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

From there she was offered paid work in the sector which “ignited a passion” and ended in a 27 year career as the CEO of Lady Gowrie Tasmania.

“We did a lot of really good things at Lady Gowrie, not just providing childcare but looking after the community and supporting families.

“I never, ever, wanted to be the CEO — I was quite happy being the teacher and the director of a childcare centre.”

Along with her colleagues, Mrs Cornish expanded Lady Gowrie from a couple of childcare centres to now more than 40.

She said she was proud to be part of an organisation that was operating services where no other operator would go because it was not financially viable.

“The board was really supportive, underwriting the financial losses to make sure those communities had access,” she said.

Ros Cornish as chief executive officer (CEO) of Lady Gowrie childcare centres and deputy national president of Early Childhood Australia, in 2007.

Mrs Cornish said it was excellent timing for her work to be recognised but there were lots of people she worked alongside that were just as worthy of recognition.

“Early childhood education and care is really important and it’s at the forefront of government thinking at the moment so we have to make the most of it.”

Mrs Cornish said a highlight of her career was being a part of a group of advocates who successfully lobbied the federal government for paid parental leave.

She said she had a reputation for being “frank and fearless” in the role, but she was always solution focused and made alternative proposals to broaden government thinking on early childhood education.

Mrs Cornish is now retired and lives in Sandy Bay with her husband. She still has a policy level influence in the sector as a member of three boards.

“The children are our future and we have to make sure they are safe,” she said.

Originally published as Ros Cornish awarded for significant service to early childhood education administration