Congratulations to new VHPBA Life Members

At the recent Annual General Meeting, Life Memberships were conferred upon Carol Hart and Peter McLoughlin. Photos of Carol and Peter receiving their Life Member Certificates can be viewed on our Facebook page. Congratulations to both Carol and Peter on receiving Life Membership, both have made significant lifelong contributions to not only their local pipe bands, but the overall pipe band scene in Victoria, and to the VHPBA in particularly.

Carol Hart Has been in the pipe band scene since the late 1960s and was a piper when she joined Melbourne Ladies Pipe Band. She retired from the Melbourne Ladies in 1979. After leaving, Carol joined Southern Ladies where she was Drum Major for a few years. Then joined St Andrews Ladies in the late 1980s where she was Drum Major for approximately 15 years, and during this time she also played pipes. However, the role of Drum Major was her first love and she performed at just about every engagement St Andrews did until the band folded in the early 2000s. Carol has been a Dress & Drill judge for many years and was Vice Principal of Dress & Drill for approximately 10 years before retiring to Sarsfield down Gippsland way. Carol also quietly assisted the office over the years in many ways.

Peter McLoughlin has been a member of the VHPBA since 1960. He played pipes with Moorabbin City Pipe Band for many years and Later he became the Band Secretary. He played in all contests with the band under the guidance of Pipe Majors Eric Christie and the late Bill Bruce. In the 90’she moved to the Great Ocean Rd to a farm and so devoted he travelled from Wongarra to Clayton RSL as the Moorabbin band was then known for practice for 2 years, a 3 hour drive each way. Deciding the travel was too far, one day when in Colac shopping when he found ladies selling raffle tickets for the Colac Pipe Band and mentioned he was a piper so they found his address on the raffle ticket. Pipe Major Doug Moore rang the VHPBA Secretary to ask her to find out about this tall piper, and he subsequently joined the band. Peter has since played with Newtown and now plays contests with Geelong RSL Pipe Band. He has been a Contest Supervisor since the 1990s, and has been Vice Principal of Rules & Administration for almost ten years. Overall, he has been a busy man with his bagpipe and rules.