Edmund Rice was born in Ireland in 1762. While still quite young, he became a wealthy businessman and an active Catholic at a time when Catholics were discriminated against.

Following the death of his pregnant wife in a horse riding accident and the subsequent birth of his daughter with disabilities, Edmund felt a call to reassess his life. After ten years of searching, he was about to join a monastery until his sister-in-law said that his true work lay all around him, with the down-trodden and needy of his own community.

Edmund sold his business, left his home and devoted his fortune to providing opportunities for their growth and education. He opened a school in a stable, living in the loft, and began teaching in the Catholic tradition, which was illegal at that time. After some initial disappointments other people, inspired by his example, joined him in offering their lives for the service of those in need. This developed into the organisation known today as the Christian Brothers, dedicated to the welfare and education of youth. Edmund was beautified by Pope John Paul II in October 1996.

Edmund’s story is all the more powerful because so many of us can relate to some of his experiences. "He is not some remote historical religious figure, but rather someone who lived a life which would be familiar to many of us today". a student, a new employee, a business owner, a millionaire, a love-struck newly-wed, an expectant father, a grieving husband, a single father, a parent of a disabled child, a man searching for purpose in his life, a volunteer working with street kids, a struggling teacher, and someone who risked everything to follow a dream. The Edmund Rice Camps try to follow his example and live out the spirit of Edmund Rice. Through the work we do, we experience some small part of the sacrifices and joy that Edmund Rice himself knew almost two centuries ago.

Edmund's legacy is the work of the order he founded, the Christian Brothers, and the work of other groups within the Edmund Rice Family. In Tasmania, the Christian Brothers founded and still support both St. Virgils College & St. Patrick’s College. Edmund Rice ministries exist in fields as diverse as social research, prison rehabilitation and support of those with disabilities. Edmund Rice Camps focuses on marginalised children, attempting to improve their quality of life and their future prospects by exposing them to new role models and a range of new experiences.