Coastal Scottish Pipe Band

The Coastal Scottish Pipe Band, also known simply as 'Coastals', is a grade 3 pipe band based in Perth, Western Australia. The band was formed in 1898, and along with the City of Melbourne Highland Pipe Band is one of the oldest pipe bands in Australia. Their many recent successes include winning the 2007 New Zealand Pipe Band Championships (Grade 4), held in Dunedin.

Coastal Scottish Pipe Band
Established1898
LocationWestern Australia
Grade3
Pipe majorHamish Cotton
Drum sergeantJohn Christensen
TartanAncient MacLaine of Lochbuie
Notable honours1st place, New Zealand Pipe Band Championships: 2007 (Grade 4);
1st place, Western Australian Pipe Band Championships: 2007 (Grades 3 & 4)
Websitewww.coastalscottish.org

History

The Coastal Scottish Pipe Band was formed in 1898 by a group of expatriate Scottish men working at the old Fremantle Railway Workshops. As one of the only pipe bands in Western Australia at this time the band called themselves 'The Gay Gordons' and adopted the Gordon tartan in their uniform.[1][2]

As early as 1901 it had become known as the Coastal Scottish Pipe Band.,[3] however many references after that date still called it the Fremantle Gordon Pipe Band.[4]

Their first competition entered was at the WACA Ground in 1929. An event which was, among other festivities, organised to coincide with the Centenary of Western Australia.[5]

The economic depression of the coming years was to have quite a large impact on the band. In the years following World War II, Coastals regained its full strength and by the 1950s and 60s the band was actively performing at many notable social turnouts including the first visit to WA in 1954 by the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.

It was also around this time that Bon Scott, who went on to become the front man for the Australian Hard Rock band AC/DC, was a snare drummer with the band.

In 1975, the band was renamed the City of South Perth Pipe Band and also adopted the Ancient MacLaine of Lochbuie clan tartan, which continues to be part of the current uniform. It was also in the coming years that the band produced the first known recording of Pipe Band music in Western Australia.

In 2001, the City of South Perth council reviewed their sponsorship of the band, and on 28 August of the same year the band officially readopted their former name "Coastal Scottish Pipe Band WA".

Since this time the band has had success at both state and international levels of competition. The most notable achievement in the bands short term history was winning first place in Grade 4 at the 2007 New Zealand Pipe Band championships. The band was awarded first place in the MSR, Musical Selection, Drumming, and Street March (Music), thereby winning the overall Grade 4 competition and trophies. In 2009, the band travelled to Glasgow, Scotland, to compete at the World Pipe Band Championships. Most recently in 2012, Coastals travelled to Ballarat, Victoria to compete in the Australian National Pipe Band Championships.

As of early October 2008, the APBA WA branch upgraded Coastals to Grade 3.

Notes
  1. "Gay Gordon Pipe Band". Geraldton Guardian. Vol. I, no. 26. Western Australia. 1 January 1907. p. 7. Retrieved 23 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. "THE GAY GORDON HIGHLANDERS". The Daily News. Vol. XXIV, no. 9518. Western Australia. 24 November 1905. p. 10 (SECOND EDITION). Retrieved 23 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. Coastal Scottish Pipe Band (1950), Grand Scottish Concert, retrieved 23 April 2017
  4. "General News". The Daily News. Vol. XXIII, no. 9055. Western Australia. 19 May 1904. p. 1 (SECOND EDITION). Retrieved 23 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "HIGHLAND GATHERING". Sunday Times (Perth). No. 1641. Western Australia. 7 July 1929. p. 4 (First Section). Retrieved 23 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.

References
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