About

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Occupation: Senior Teacher (History, Economics); Head of Curriculum, Pakenham Secondary College.

Piping Tuition: 1978 Moorabbin City Pipe Band by Pipe Major Eric Christie (New Zealand Gold Medalist) and Pipe Sergeant/Major Bill Bruce. Further tuition from Captain Doug Thoresen (Senior Piper in the Australian Army and New Zealand Gold Medalist); Pipe Major Ron Carver (Highland Light Infantry, and Victoria Police); and Pipe Major Nat Russell (RUC, and Victoria Police).

Band History

• 1978 to 1985 Moorabbin City Pipe Band (Grade 1)
• !985 to 1988 City of Nunawading Pipe Band (Grade 2)
• 1988 to 1995 City of Melbourne Pipe Band (Grade 1 – Pipe Sergeant)
• 1991 to 1993 City of Blacktown Pipe Band NSW (Grade 1 – Guest Player)
• 1995 to 1997 City of Nunawading Pipe Band (Grade 2)
• 2004 to 2006 Frankston RSL Pipe Band (Grade 4 – Pipe Major 2005-2006)
• 2006 to 2013 Clayton RSL/Moorabbin City Pipe Band (Grade 2)
• 2015-present Old Scotch Pipes and Drums (Grade 3)

Band Achievements

• Australian Pipe Band Championships – firsts & numerous second & third placings (Grades 1, 2, 3 & 4A)
• Victorian Pipe Band Championships – numerous first, second & third placings (Grades 1, 2 & 4A)
• New South Wales Pipe Band Championship – second & third placings (Grade 1)
• ACT Championship – first place three times (Grade 4A)
• Queensland Pipe Band Championships – first placed twice (Grade 1 and Grade 2) and 3^rd G3
• New Zealand Championships – placed third and fourth (Grade 1)
• World Pipe Band Championship and European Championship- placed equal 12^th and 6^th respectively (Grade 3B)

Solo Piping Achievements                       

• Advanced Certificate in Piping 1993 – Australian College of Piping
• Winner 1983 Silver Medal Competition in Ceol Mor – Pipers’ Club of Victoria
• Winner DM MacLennan Medal 1984 – Pipers’ Club of Victoria
• Winner of aggregate trophies for Elementary (1980), Sub-Intermediate (1981), and Intermediate (1983)– Pipers’ Club of Victoria
• Winner 1992 A Grade M.S.R. Ringwood Solos – Pipers’ Club of Victoria
• Winner 1992 A Grade M.S.R. Maclean Highland Gathering NSW – NSW Pipe Band Association
• Winner 1993 A Grade Hornpipe & Jig Tenterfield Highland Gathering – Tenterfield Highland Society
• Numerous places in solos in every grade of competition in both light music and piobaireachd 1979 to 2010.

Adjudication – relevant listed

• Vice Principal of Piping (Victoria) 2013 to 2017; 2024- present
• Adjudicated Victorian Championships (2014, ’15, ’18, 25), NSW Championships (2023), Tasmanian Championships (2024,’25)
• Adjudicated pipe band and solo contests in Victoria, NSW, South Australia, and Tasmania (2013-present)
• Member of the Victorian Grading Committee (2013-2017, 2019 to present)
• National VP conferences 2013 & 2015 (Adelaide). Organising & leading piping & adjudication workshops (2014-2017, 2024).
• VCE Bagpipe Music assessor (2014-2018)
• Mentored new piping adjudicators.
• Examiner in PBA piping – conducting examinations from Preliminary to Advanced.
• Participation in adjudicator workshops and training sessions on a regular basis since 2013.
• Currently a candidate for PBA Ensemble adjudication certificate.

Harold Gillespie is a drumming educator, adjudicator and Vice Principal of Ensemble at PBV. He has the RSPBA certificate of Advanced Drumming and previously served for 14 years as PBV Vice Principal of Drumming. He has adjudicated at Branch, National, New Zealand, British and World Championships.

Harold competed at the World Championships with the Victoria Police Pipe Band for 10 years, gaining nine top six places, including as the lead drummer of the band’s Grade 1 win in 1998. Other major successes as a lead drummer and teacher are 16 Australian, 48 Victorian, and 3 New Zealand championships.

Harold taught and directed Haileybury Pipes & Drums leading the band to numerous Juvenile and Grade 4, State and National championships. He is a recipient of several awards, including the Sir Rupert Hamer Award for significant service to pipe bands in Victoria, and is an inductee of the PBA inaugural Hall of Fame in the highest categories of Legend, Performance, Education and Training.

We’re still compiling everything there is to know about Michael.

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Andrew started drumming in 1970 with the Mitcham Pipe Band (Grade 3) at the age of 7, under the tuition of Cyril Bell. He remained there until 1980 where he then joined the City of Melbourne Pipe Band (Grade 1) finishing up his 7 years there as Lead Drummer and holding the prize as Victorian Grade 1 Drum Corp Champions. 1987 saw Andrew join the Victoria Police Pipe Band. During this time, Andrew played under Lead Drummers Andrew Scullion, Paul Turner and Harold Gillespie respectively. In 1996, Andrew was employed as the Senior Drumming Instructor at Scotch College Melbourne. In 2002, Andrew accepted a position at Presbyterian Ladies’ College as Teacher in Charge of Pipes and Drums and was tasked with establishing a competitive Pipe Band for the School. He remained there for 14 years.

Andrew has been an educator, mentor and drumming and ensemble adjudicator for over 25 years. He is the recipient of the Peter Clohesy Award for services to pipe band drumming. Andrew regularly travels to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur as an eminent adjudicator, to teach and mentor bands and judge at their competitions.

Andrew is currently the Vice Principal of Drumming in Victoria and is employed as a professional drummer with the Victoria Police Pipe Band where he regularly performs at community, ceremonial and State functions.

(Photo taken at Balmoral Castle , 17 August 2022, prior to performing for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II)