New Zealand’s brass and pipe bands

This page explores the long history of brass and pipe bands in New Zealand, a legacy of our British colonial past.

Brass and pipe bands arrive in New Zealand

Early settlers from England and Scotland brought with them both brass and pipe traditions, and early New Zealand bands were often the military bands of the colonial regiments. Settlers also formed bands, sometimes associated with the militia, and garrison bands sprang up around the country.

Bands formed by workers

The goldrushes also saw miners forming bands. In Christchurch, the Addington Workshops Brass Band was formed in 1883 and continues today as Addington Brass. The band was funded by a levy of all employees of the Addington Railway Workshops and played initially a picnics and other social events.

Woolston Brass

Woolston Brass (formerly the Skellerup Woolston Brass Band) are another well-known Christchurch band. Listen to this 1950s recording (mp3) of the band accompanying the All Blacks Football Song. More recently, a 1998 recording (mp3) of Larry Pruden’s Haast Highway shows off the band’s sheer talent. You can borrow several Woolston Brass CDs from our libraries.

Pipe bands

Pipe bands also have a long tradition and the City of Invercargill Caledonian Pipe Band Inc. which was founded in 1896, is believed to be the oldest civilian pipe band in the southern hemisphere. Hear the Milton Pipe Band playing March 79th in this recording (mp3) from the 1940s.

The Canterbury Caledonian Society Pipe Band celebrated its’ centennial in 2002. The Band was formed in 1902. After gaining approval from the Canterbury Caledonian Society, the Band held its first practice on 8 September 1902. In 2010 the Band finished third at the New Zealand Pipe Band Championships at Masterton, and were crowned Champion of Champions for the 2010/2011 Season.

Band rotundas

Bands played at all kinds of public events civic, sporting and patriotic. Another strong tradition was the outdoor concert in the park in summer and like most places Christchurch had a number of bandstands to accommodate this. Christchurch City Libraries collection of heritage photographs of rotundas records a number of examples at Sumner, New Brighton, Sydenham Park and Victoria Square as well as the most famous Thomas Edmonds Band Rotunda and the Band Rotunda in the Hagley Park.

Brass and pipe band resources

Search our catalogue

• Brass bands
• Brass band music
• Pipe bands
• Pipe band music
• CDs recorded by Woolston Brass

Search CINCH

Search CINCH our community information database for:

• Brass bands
• Pipe bands

Websites

We recommend:

The Brass Band Association of New Zealand

Information on brass bands throughout the country, the national band events, education and CDs.

Royal New Zealand Pipe Bands

Includes information on Canterbury bands.

Sources

All audio clips are located on the Discover. It exists within the National Library’s Find Service. Other clips are available there.