NEWS and INFORMATION

RECENT NEWS

In October 2009, 4 members of our band attended a "Drumming and Piping Workshop" in Noosa Heads. Organised and run by the Noosa and District Pipe Band, the featured tutors included, Jori Chislom, Richard Hawke, James Laughlin and Tyler Fry.
The two and a half day workshop covered many areas of piping, drumming, tuning, score writing and ensemble. With a total of only fifty students overall, it was an ideal atmosphere to learn and exchange ideas and details with others in the wider piping community. With the depth of talent on offer it was almost a mental overload, but to see these world class players inspired us all to make that extra effort to improve, not only our own playing and ourselves in general, but our pipe band as well.

BAND HISTORY

The Band was originally formed on 9th April 1957 at a meeting in the CWA rooms in Coffs Harbour, following informal discussions at the McLeod farming property, Ben Nevis, at Karangi. It was called the Coffs Harbour & District Pipe Band.
A competition was conducted to select the tartan the band would wear. The winner was the McLeod of Harris Hunting tartan, which the band still wears today.
The band has existed continuously since then with numbers of name changes over the years as sponsorships were obtained. Current major sponsors are the Coffs Harbour Ex-Services Club and the Woolgoolga RSL Club.
From the band's inception, women were not permitted to be playing members but were keenly encouraged to participate in the Ladies Auxiliary and support committees. Momentous Decision . . . At the Annual General Meeting on 19th July 1962, the Coffs Harbour & District Pipe Band resolved to permit ladies as playing members of the band. The motion was carried unanimously by all the men present which shows very forward thinking by bandsmen of that era.
In 1993, the band piped councillors into the Coffs Harbour City Council Chambers and was duly adopted as the official marching band for Coffs Harbour City. Coffs Harbour City Council has supported the band for many years with an annual grant.
The band dressed in full the military style of uniform in its early days with the many dress items being purchased as funds became available. The full uniform included doublet jackets, plaids, balmorals, spats and hair sporrans. In the year 2000, the band adopted the summer day-dress uniform consisting of leather pouch sporran, Glengarry, cream hose and lightweight 'Crail' jacket. This new uniform is much more suitable for the north coast climate.
At the AGM 2004, the band unanimously voted to adopt the new name, Coffs Coast Pipes and Drums. Given the wide geographical range of our members, from Macksville and Nambucca Heads in the south to Woolgoolga in the north, this name was felt to be more inclusive.