As he retires from The Noosa Band founding member Don Drysdale reflects on its 44 year history.
The Noosa Band became a registered band in the year 2001.
However, I would like to take you back to 1981 when it all began.
I had just come up from a farm at Terang in Western Victoria with my wife and young family of three girls
I had not missed an Anzac Day since I was born as Dad was a returned soldier and attended the Anzac Day march at Terang each year with the Terang Pipe Band. He was the drum major leading the band.
Dad encouraged me to learn the pipes, which I did and joined him in the band.
So naturally, when I came to Tewantin I attended the march.
The Pipe Band that used to lead the Tewantin march could not do it anymore so I found John Arnell playing the side drum on his own, leading the march. I spoke with him after the march and said I played the pipes. The following year the two of us led the march.
So after that Anzac march in 1982 in Tewantin, two pipers came up to me from the crowd.
Then as the years went by more and more came up to us as there was no official pipe band in Noosa at the time.
The pipers included Ken McGregor, Jim Bennie, Dr Charlie Elliott, Brian Gough, Geoff Farrow, Ian Towers, Preben Nielson and Ian Power.
Then drummers came out of the woodwork including Don Rosie (a Canadian), Don Gutry, (NZ) Heather Ford, Lou Brennan, Helen Farrow, Bruce Dalton (who’s wife worked at the nursing home and said my husband plays base drum), drum major Dave Chalmers and, of course, the original drummer John Arnell.
During this time we were asked to lead the Cooroy RSL march as well, so that is why still today the Tewantin march is 9am and Cooroy 10.30am to give us time to get to Cooroy to play there.
We would get together just a month before Anzac Day and get the pipes and drums going.
All pipers had their own pipes and the Tewantin RSL Sub Branch bought our first drums which were second hand, from Sunshine Coast Pipe Band.
Our first new base drum was donated, brand new by Agnes Banaghan, then owner of the Kin Kin Hotel because we played up there on St Paddies day. She was Irish and proud of it.
We would wear our own kilt, which were all different tartans.
I might say there were some very good pipers and drummers in this group from quite high level bands.
Then, Mike MacDonald came on the scene around 1998, when we were starting to be asked to play at quite a few different functions, including King of the Mountain at Pomona, the Noosa Show and the Noosa nursing home fete.
Mike MacDonald came up to us at the Noosa show and said he had a lot of experience in pipe bands
Charlie Elliott asked Mike if he would become more involved and tutor the band. His experience came from pipe bands as a boy in a school cadet band in England, then in Scotland and then Australia in the Canberra and Sydney areas.
Well, he initially said he had had enough of pipe bands and would help where he could. It was not long before he was treasurer, secretary, president, tutor, pipe major and manager of the band.
He organised a roll of ancient MacDonald tartan from a family woollen mill in Scotland and had 20 kilts made for $250 each.
We learnt lots and lots of new tunes and the original band members would have the biggest repertoire of any band going. Practices were held every Sunday morning at Pomona Show Grounds.
Drum sargent Len Wilkie travelled down from Gympie every week to tutor the drummers.
We have competed in band competitions in Brisbane, McLean and Yandina and have done reasonably well at times.
In 2018 the band went through a big change.
Mike retired at 80 years of age and we now have a new pipe major named Rod Echague and, as they say, you put young blood into an old well established business and it will continue to flourish, so too it is with the Pipe Band.
Members come and go for various reasons but the underlying reason why you belong to a band is the love of the music, the sound you produce and the friendships you form.
We were very fortunate to have Rod Echague take over the role of pipe major and along with a number of very capable pipers who come into the district ensured the band continues to move forward in a positive direction.
Eumundi became a very important venue for us. We started with myself leading a street walk on Anzac Day. Then the whole band did it, and on St Patrick’s Day the Imperial Hotel sent a bus to Noosa to pick us up to play at their pub and take us back home.
By 2018 the band was playing at many events in the Noosa area including Anzac marches at Eumundi 8am, Tewantin 9am, Cooroy 10.30am, Dawn Services at Verierdale, Tewantin and Cooroy, the morning services at Tewantin and Cooroy. We also provided entertainment at the Cooroy RSL after lunch and some social play a little later in the afternoon at Eumundi’s Imperial Hotel.
Other events in 2018 included St Patrick’s Day at two hotels in Noosa and the Imperial Hotel, Eumundi, Boondooma Scots in the Bush Celtic Festival (we are the main Pipe Band for the event in the middle weekend in August where 600 caravans and their owners turn up for the weekend), Christmas in Cooroy Parade, Noosa Waters Canal Flotilla Christmas Lights Parade, the Noosa Gift Athletics Carnival, Festival of the Waters, Noosa Netball march past, Noosa Football championships opening, the local Australia Day ceremony, Cooroy Woodworkers Club, the Commonwealth Games Baton Relay and Pomona Heritage event.
Members of our band were also asked to play for weddings, birthdays and funerals.
2018 members of the band were:
Pipers – Rod Echague, Barry Laws, Cameron Ritchie, Kevin James, David Price, Howard Carlsen, Mike MacDonald, John McLanachan, Adam Casey, Karl Brown, Eric Rennex and myself.
Drummers – Len Wilkie, Peter Scott, Gabby Scott, Adele Horn, Nan Morrice, Alan Morrice, Melissa Lancaster, Isla Echague and Fiona Echague.
Drum Major – Bruce Hamilton
By 2024 the band was going stronger than ever.
In 2019 we held a piping night at the Imperial Hotel, Eumundi and invited pipers from all over the coast, even getting some from Brisbane.
Amongst the pipers was Robert Gibb who had emigrated from Dumfries in Scotland, found beautiful Sarah from down Warwick way and settled on the coast, and offered to help Rod with the tutoring and tuning of the pipes
It was not long before Rod realised Robert who was only 30 years of age and an outstanding piper should take over his job.
Rod still plays a big role in the band with Robert’s guidance. The band has learnt lots of interesting sets and the pipes have never sounded better.
We have run a couple of bus trips entertaining people along the way and played at the Woodford folk festival two years in a row before Covid stopped it.
Now we have been invited to Maleny for a festival and continue to play on Anzac Day and St Patrick’s day.
The 2024 band has 12 pipers, four snares, two tenors and one bass.
Current members are:
Pipers – Pipe Major Robert Gibb, Rod Echague, Cameron Ritchie, Barry Laws, Don Drysdale, Jimmy McKinley, Kevin James, John McLanachan, Jeremiah Montgomery, Karl Brown, Barry Baldwin, Gordon Walker.
Drummers – Len Wilkie, Peter Scott, Ivor Moulds, Warren Harris, Gabby Scott, Angie McNab, Aoy Boodee.
The membership is ever changing as you can see by the list with 34 pipers and 34 drummers having played in the band over the years.
We have made life long friends and I wish the Noosa Pipe Band all the best in the future as I sadly step away from being a playing member.
