The Beginning
Lindisfarne College opened its doors to 33 foundation pupils on April 14th, 1953, but it was the generosity of E.J. Herrick which made the creation of Lindisfarne a possibility. In 1951 he offered the land and buildings of his Hastings farmlet named "Lindisfarne" to the Presbyterian Church for £20,000 - leaving £5,000 to the College as a gift if the extra £15,000 was raised within a month. Excited by the prospect of establishing a private Presbyterian Boys' Boarding School in Hastings, the school's 3 founding fathers - Reverend F.H. Robertson (the College's first Rector), A. Kirkpatrick (the first College Council Chairman), and R.D. Brown, arranged the purchase within time, thanks to the generosity of a relatively small group of local supporters.
The beautiful park-like surroundings of the school grounds, and the gracious old 3 storeyed 'Homestead' building, have been nurtured and well maintained so that the College environment is a peaceful and pleasant educational environment for pupils and staff. The old tennis court area, dating from the 1900's, has evolved into the sweeping Homestead lawn, edged by flower beds, native ferns bordering the trickling stream and many marvellous old English trees.
The College Council marked the new millennium with extensive renovations of the Homestead building, managing to keep its 'Olde World' charm by employing skilled craftsmen to renew the wooden panelling, leather armchairs and tiled roofing. The 'Homestead' now houses the staff common room, Rector's office, Boardroom and administration areas. The outstanding modern facilities of the College are designed and constructed to match the Homestead and enable a modern learning environment within a heritage setting.