History of Penmellyn Veterinary Centre

1883 David Sinclair practiced as a Veterinary Surgeon in St Columb Area.

1885 Frederick Harvey qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in London and can be seen as the founder of the Practice now known as Penmellyn Veterinary Group.

1920's House and stable block known as Penmellyn (meaning mill on the hill) became base for practice in Lower East Street, St Columb Major.

1931 Geoffrey Harvey, son of Frederick Harvey, qualified from Liverpool and continued the Practice after his fathers death in 1938, Geoffrey Harvey was later joined in Partnership by George Blackely.

1959 Dixon Gunn joined the Practice and became a Partner in 1965.

1964 Owen Pearce comes to St Columb as assistant to Geoffrey Harvey and proves himself instrumental in the development of the equine section.

1966 Angela Kent took up employment with the Practice, possibly the first female veterinary surgeon to work in Cornwall.

1967 Sudden death of Geoffrey Harvey. Dixon Gunn and Owen Pearce form Partnership known as Gunn & Pearce.

1976 Pat Lockett joined and the Partnership is extended to Gunn, Pearce and Lockett.

1980 Premises in Lower East were extended, including equine operating facilities, a modern small animal clinic and the acquisition of an adjacent property named 'Tower View'.

1980 Opening of branch surgery in Chester Road, New quay.

1988 Peter Rogers and Ruth Varcoe join Gunn, Pearce & Lockett in Partnership and Penmellyn Veterinary Group was formed.

1990 Dixon Gunn retires from general practice and continues to have a key role in management as Director of Centaur Services and ANVAL.

1995 Owen Pearce retires after a professional life committed to horses in Cornwall.

1996 Angela Kent retires from full time employment and receives an M.B.E. in 2005 for services to the community.

1999 Hannes Tanzer an overseas graduate from Austria joins the Partnership.

2000 The St Merryn branch surgery, started and developed by Angela Kent is reopened after being rebuilt from floor level and extended including accommodation for an assistant.

2005 Peter Murrish and Philip Harris join the Partnership and plans to build new facilities at Station Road are in their final phase.

2006 Pat Lockett retires from the Partnership and continues as a part-time vet. The practice moves into new, purpose build facilities in September 2006, designed to hospital standards on the small animal as well as on the equine and farm side. Three dedicated divisions are formed: Penmellyn Small Animal Department Penmellyn Farm Department Penmellyn Equine Department

2007 Colin Whiting starts work at the practice and launches A30 Small Animal Surgical Referrals. In November, the practice leaves its old Newquay site in Chester Road and relocates to bigger premises on Henver Road. This allows for some surgical procedures to be carried out at the Newquay surgery.

2010 Colin Whiting joins the partnership.

2011 Penmellyn starts work on the launch of a new practice in Pool.