About Victoria Police

A Brief History of the Victoria Police Bands

  Police Band 1897

The inaugural meeting of members interested in forming a band took place in the gymnasium at Russell Street Headquarters on 4 July 1891. Constable George Thomas Westcott had been following the progress of Police bands in the UK via their Police journal called ‘On and Off Duty’. Constable Westcott was successful in gaining the permission of the Chief Commissioner to hold the meeting and about 50 interested members attended it. Sergeant F.C. Derry was elected to the chair and hence the band began.

Police Bands 1924

The band adopted ‘Charitas Causa’ as its motto and set about raising funds to assist the survivors of the shipwrecked Cheviot. In 1936 the Victoria Police Pipe Band was formed with financial assistance from Mr W.E. McPherson. In recognition of his generosity the Pipe Band proudly wears the McPherson tartan to this day.

These Bands performed at numerous concerts, at Regal and Vice Regal occasions, as support to official police functions, marches and festivals all over the State. The Band members at this time were highly dedicated operational police assisting the Bands on a part time basis. A lack of resources made it difficult for the Bands to perform through these formative years.

In 1980 the Bands took an important step by employing a core of 15 musicians who had experience in respected military bands, both in Australia and the UK. They were sworn members who principally were musicians but also performed police duties. Other operational police supplemented band jobs but a more professional appearance was evolving.

Police Band 1969
 
The next level of evolution occurred in 1988 when the Band's number of professional musicians swelled to accommodate a more versatile product, the base being a Concert Band and the Pipe Band.
 
A key decision in the evolution of the Band was to incorporate singers, which in turn moved away from the traditional format of concert bands. The growth of the Band as a progressive and innovative unit was inevitable from herein.
 
 

Combined Bands 1984

The demand of the Band increased, and so the next obvious step was to form more flexible units depending upon the need of the job. In addition to the Pipe Band a Rock Band, Showband, Trad Jazz Band, Woodwind Quintet and Cabaret Band all evolved.

Concert Band 1993

During the 1990's the Bands in total numbered around 60 members.  To remain contemporary and to best service the Force and the Community restructuring within the Bands has resulted in the Bands currently being made up of the Showband, the Pipe Band and Code One (the rock band).