In April 1958, the State Government formally approved the formation of the Queensland Police Pipe Band, Australia’s third police pipe band after Victoria and New South Wales, and provided £2000 for the purchase of uniforms and equipment. Original uniforms consisted of Gordon Clan (modern) tartan kilt, plaids and hose. Pipers wore black tunics, black cross and waist belts, and drummers were clad in scarlet tunics, white cross and waist belts. All band members wore Glengarry type headdress with black cock feathers, white horse hair sporrans, plaid brooch, Glengarry cap badges and white spats. Gordon Clan tartan was chosen by a popular vote.
Queensland Police Pipe Band at a passing out parade at Petrie Terrace Depot, Brisbane c1962.
Image PM0042 Courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.
The band membership was on a part-time basis and restricted to serving members of the police and cadets. The inaugural members included 10 pipers, 6 drummers and a Drum Major. The Police Youth Welfare Association building in Lang Park was approved for practices on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons between 2pm and 5pm. Sessions were attended in department time and the first practice of the newly constituted Queensland Police Pipe Band was held on Thursday June 12, 1958.
The original repertoire included tunes like The Barren Rocks of Aden, The Green Hills of Tyrol, Bonnie Dundee, Scotland the Brave and The Nut Brown Maiden. Over the next decade, the band grew in skill and confidence and saw its repertoire expand to include tunes such as McNeill of Ugadale, The Men of Argyle and Sound of Sleat, to name but a few. In 1968, the tartan had been changed to Gordon Clan (ancient). The kilts were teamed with scarlet tunics. In 1975, the tartan was further updated to Gordon Red (weathered). The same year the band was invited to attend the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Queensland Police Constable Janet Makepeace, was the only woman among the 140 combined Australian police pipe band musicians at the Tattoo 1975. The band toured the United Kingdom for eight weeks attracting 9000 spectators at each performance.
Edinburgh Military Tattoo Programme 1975.
In 1982, the band saw yet another change of dress, which coincided with their participation at the Commonwealth Games. A decade later, Dress MacDonald (modern) tartan worn at the Games, was updated to MacDonnell of Glengarry (modern) tartan. Since then, the Queensland Police Pipes and Drums delivered numerous outstanding performances at the Brisbane International and Adelaide International Police Tattoos, and in 2006 was invited back to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The 24 performances attracted over 200,000 live spectators and a television audience of one million. The band’s most nerve wracking performance, however, was before HRH Queen Elizabeth II at the celebration of the formation of the Royal Regiment of Scotland in the same year.
Pipe Major Roderick MacDonald meets HRH Queen Elizabeth II, 2006.
Image borrowed from ‘Qld Police Pipes & Drums Commemorating 50 years 1958-2008’.
The Queensland Police Pipes and Drums has been long celebrated as one of Australia’s finest pipe bands. It continues to perform at formal state functions, community group receptions and even rock concerts.
The Queensland Police Pipes and Drums at Brisbane ANZAC Day Parade, 2012. Image Courtesy of the Media and Public Affairs Branch.
Last year, as a part of QP 150 events, the band visited Torres Strait and northern peninsula where they received a warm welcome and a new spin on their uniforms!
QP 150 Torres Strait Tour, 2014. Image Courtesy of the Media and Public Affairs Branch.
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This information has been provided by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available. The article was written by Museum Volunteer and Crime and Policing Historian Dr Anastasia Dukova.
The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au
“FROM the VAULT – Queensland Police Pipes and Drums” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence.
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