Benjamin McLaughlin

Pipe Sergeant

Ben comes from Christchurch,  New Zealand and has been lucky enough to have been taught by some of New Zealand's top tutors such as Alistair Munro,  Richard Hawke and Martin Frewen.   These tutors have helped Ben progress through the solo scene and at the beginning of 2005 was upgraded to 'A' grade at age 17.

Since arriving in Western Australia in 2007 he has competed in and won the Open State Championships and also the Champion of Champions series,  which was held for the first time in 2008.

When not playing for WAPOL he joins his brother at Manawatu and guest plays with The Band Club from Sydney,  Australia.

Craig Bailey

Pipes
Supervisor

Born in Perth,  Western Australia, Craig started playing the bagpipes at the age of 10 with the Police and Citizen’s Youth Club Pipe Band.  In 1983 he joined the Scotch College Pipe Band where he received colours and honours awards for service to the school band and was appointed Pipe Major in 1986.   In 1984, whilst still playing with Scotch he joined the Perth Highland Pipe Band and served as Pipe Major there between 1996 – 99, then joining the police Band.

Since 1999 Craig has been employed with WAPOL and continues to enjoy his time with the band at home and abroad.

Adam Britten

Pipes

Adam commenced his piping career with the Broken Hill Pipe Band, a Grade 4 band in South Australia, between 1988 and 1994.  In 1995 he commenced playing with the City of Adelaide Pipe Band, a grade 1 band.  He remained with that band until 2001 during which time they achieved 2nd place in the Australian Pipe Band Championships in 1998 amd again 2000.  Between 2001 and 2004 Adam played with the Queensland Police Pipe Band and as a guest player with Nunawading Pipe Band, Manawatu Scottish Society Pipe Band (New Zealand) and latterly in 2004 with Wapol during its attempt at the worlds that year.   He is now employed full time as a band officer with Wapol.

During Adam's piping career he has enjoyed considerable success in solo competition including at the Interceltique Festival in Lorient,  France.

On the 4th of September, 2006 Adam was promoted to the position of Pipe Sergeant.  He is also currently the Secretary/Treasurer of the Western Australia Police Pipe Band Supporters' Association (Inc.)

Paul Spencer

Pipes/keyboard/Bass Guitar

Paul commenced Piping in 1982 with the City of South Perth Pipe Band and competed with them at the Australian Championships in 1986.  In 1991 Paul joined the Police Band as a Special Constable and later Transferred to a civilian position.

He is a prolific composer of Pipe tunes many of which have become part of the Band's repertoire.   In 1998 Paul produced his first music book entitled the " OFF DUTY" collection.   He collaborates in all of the band's concert arrangements.

Paul Giovannetti

Pipes

Paul began learning the pipes with the Police and Citizens Youth Club Band in 1989.   In late 1996 he moved to the Armadale City Pipe Band to help progress his playing ability and in early 2000 Paul began as a guest player with the Police Pipe Band.  At the beginning of 2006 Paul took up a full-time contract with Wapol.

Iain Westgate

Pipes

Iain has been playing the Pipes for 19 years,  having been taught by his Father and then Gold Medal competitor Iain Macey for four years.   He was Pipe Sergeant of RAF Halton Pipes and Drums for 8 years,  taking the band from Grade 4 to Grade 3 and coming 2nd at the World Champs in 2007.

Iain has won many solo competitions,  including the Willie Ferguson trophy,  where competitors are selected from all around the UK and a final held in Glasgow.   He won this trophy two years running.

He has been the Official Piper to the British Embassy in Russia and was also the lone piper on the opening night of the Edinburgh Tattoo in 2006.

Iain is pleased to have moved from the UK and is looking forward learning new instruments and making a significant contribution to the Pipe Corps at WAPOL.

Keith Shoobridge APM

Pipe Major RTD/Acoustic Guitar/Webmaster

Coming from a conventional music background Keith was introduced to piping whilst undergoing recruit training at the Western Australia Police Academy in 1970.   He was appointed Pipe Major in March 1985 and remained in that position until August 2000 when he retired from the WA Police Service.

He continues to perform with the band during all concert performances

Hamish Cotton

Pipes

Hamish comes from a proud family history of pipers and drummers, 4 of whom are still currently playing. At the age of 8 Hamish continued with the family tradition and began learning the pipes with the Feilding Pipe Band in New Zealand and was soon promoted to the position of Pipe Sergeant.    A member of the band for 16 years,  with various achievements in the solo and band scene,  Hamish left his native homeland to take up a fulltime position with the police Band in November 1999.

Hamish took up a full time position within the WA Police Service in 2004 and returned to the band as a guest player in January 2007.

Ryan Kennedy

Pipes

Photo still to come

After joining Arbroath RBLS Pipe Band in 1991 Ryan moved to Tayside Police Pipe Band in 1995.   In 1997 he took over as Pipe Major of Arbroath RBLS in 1997 where the band under his control enjoyed great success.   From the band's successful teaching programme,  Ryan was able to take a group of youngsters through Novice Juvenile Grade winning Cowal Championships and a second place at the World Championships in 1999.   Due to the majority of the band leaving for university,  the remainder of the juvenile band fed into the main band,  which started competing in Grade 4b in 2000,  winning Champion of Champions in this grade in 2001.    The band moved to grade 3 in 2003 and again was among the prizes both at local and national level.

Ryan joined Wapol in October 2006 when he moved to Perth from Scotland with his work.  He is looking forward to the challenge of playing with WAPOL.

Walter Hoggan

Pipes

Walter and his family migrated to Australia in November 2006 from Falkirk in Central Scotland.

Walter has been piping with Wallacestone & District since the age of 14.   He was taught by Jimmy Inglis as well as Tom Anderson (ex Muirhead & Sons Pipe Band).   Walter started off in the Novice Juvenile grade and then moved straight on to Grade 2 with good results throughout the 1980s and 1990s where they won Champion of Champions in 1990 and came second in the World Championships.   They then went on to compete in Grade 1.   He also had the privilege of playing in Lorient, France with Wallacestone four times.   Wallacestone & District is the oldest Civilian Pipe Band in the world and Walter is very proud to have been part of the band.

In January 2007, Walter joined WAPOL as a guest player.   He is looking forward to participating with the band which will be very exciting and rewarding as it is something different to the Scottish pipe band scene.

Duncan Rankine

Pipes

Duncan started playing Bagpipes at the age of 9 years in Western Australia with John MacMurchie.  He then played with the newly formed WA Police and Citizens Youth Club Pipe Band and in 1985 he joined the WA Squadron Pipes & Drums.

After a short break and with a renewed interest in piping Duncan spent 2 seasons playing in the England with the Nottinghamshire Police Pipe Band where the band achieved great results and a cupboard full of trophies in grade 4 and grade 3.   Whilst there he competed in the World Championships and European Championships as well as other competitions in England and Scotland.

Returning to Australia in late 2001 Duncan joined the Grade 3 champions Perth Highland Pipe Band and competed both Nationally and in New Zealand.   In 2003 he joined the Grade 4 Champions "The Shadow Highlanders" where he was able to help in the advancement of the new pipers and have a more active roll in the band.

As a guest player with WAPOL Duncan is looking forward to the learning,  new challenges,  hard work and to hopefully pass on some knowledge to the pipers of tomorrow.

Jamie Forsyth

Pipes

Jamie started piping in 1999 with Goulburn RSL and joined the NSW Police Pipe Band as a guest player in 2003 playing at attestation parades and the Edinburgh Tattoo held in Sydney 2005.   In 2004 Jamie joined the Canberra Burns Club Pipe Band where he was a playing member in the band that travelled to Glasgow,  Scotland to contest the World Pipe Band Championships in Grade 2.   In 2006 Jamie helped establish the Goulburn Caledonia Pipe band where he is currently Pipe Major.   His love for piping and playing with pipe bands has taken him all around Australia and to many countries such as Scotland,  New Zealand and China.

This year Jamie is the NSW representative for the Australian OAM competition in Brisbane.   Throughout his piping career he has achieved successes in the solo circuit,  competing in the sub-intermediate and intermediate grades.   Jamie is looking forward to the new challenges ahead playing with WAPOL,  hoping to extend his knowledge and experience.

Emlyn (EJ) Brown

Drum Sergeant/Tutor

At the age of 13 Emlyn began learning with the City of Wellington Pipe Band in New Zealand and in 1985 was appointed to the position of Drum Sgt.   In his role as Drum Sgt won 7 New Zealand Grade 1 drumming titles.   In 1991 Emlyn had the good fortune to be invited to the USA to play and give some tuition assistance to the City of Washington Pipe Band Drum Corps.

In 1993 he moved to Perth and took up the position of Drum Sgt of W.A. Police Pipe Band and consequently was tutor in 1998 when they won the World Championships in Grade 2.

In May, 2001 Emlyn was at the helm of the Drum corps when the band won the 2001 US Open PIpe Band Championships in Grade 1 at Alma Michigan.

Emlyn is the current Vice Principal of Drumming for Western Australia

Danny Bowles

Snare Drum/Kit Drum

At the age of 9 Danny started to learn side drum with the Moorabbin City Pipe Band.   In 1997 he joined the Victoria Police Pipe Band and was part of the band that won the World Pipe Band Championships Grade 1 in 1998.   He later began playing with the Williamstown RSL Pipe Band in Victoria when in 2000 they won the Australian Pipe Band Championships in Grade 1 and also won the champion Drum Corps title.

Danny commenced playing with Wapol in August 2000 until 2006 when he left the band for another vocation, but after a short time away he again took up employment with the band in June 2007.

Roy Hamilton

Snare Drum/Kit Drum/Alto Drum/Synthesizer/Acoustic Guitar

In 1970 Roy joined the Wallestone Pipe band in Scotland and after migrating to Australia in 1972 he joined the Coastal Scottish Pipe Band.   In 1989 Roy moved to Canada to become a member of the 78^th Fraser Highlanders and on return to Australia had the Honour of being made a Life Member of the City of South Perth Pipe Band(Coastal Scottish).

He joined the Western Australia Police Band in 1994 and was also a member of the World Champion drum Corp in 1998 and in every major event since.

Roy has composed a number of pipe tunes performed by the band as well as playing a major part in the band's concert ensemble.

Iain Hamilton

Bass Drum/Percussion

Iain migrated to Australia in 1972 from Grangemouth,  Scotland.

Originally taught by his father,  Iain began playing with the City of South Perth Pipe Band from 1979 until 1988, playing tenor, bass and snare drum.   He also played with the 5th Military District (Army Reserve) Pipes and Drums between 1989 – 1992.

In 1990 Iain began playing the side drum with the Police band as a guest player until his full time appointment as a constable in 1993.   Now playing Bass Drum,  Iain was a member of the band when they won the World Championships Grade 2 and Open USA championships in 2001.

Libby O'Brien

Side and Kit Drums

Libby started playing the snare drum at age 11 under David Allan with the Taupo and Districts Pipe Band in New Zealand,  and became leading drummer in 2002.

With a goal to play in Grade One,  she then became a member of the Auckland and District pipe band in 2004,  and was a member of the corps that took out the New Zealand drumming championship the following year,  and again in 2007.

Libby enjoys solo competitions and has won three open side drumming titles in New Zealand.   She also enjoys teaching young drummers and has been teaching for 5 years,  primarily youth bands at summer schools.

Libby moved to Perth in May 2007 from Wellington NZ and became a full time member of Wapol in January 2008 after being a guest player for a few months prior.   She is looking forward to helping the ‘backing music’ team at Wapol,  developing her own drumming and getting pipe bands out into the community.

Kirsty Lee

Tenor Drum

Kirsty started playing the tenor drum at the age of fourteen with the City of Cockburn Pipe Band.   Wanting to pursue her drumming career,  she worked on her tenor drumming and was successful in her audition into WAPOL.   Since being with WAPOL she has travelled throughout the state for the 2005 Country Tour.

Kirsty continues to ba a member of WAPOL.

Margaret Wells

Tenor Drum

Margaret was born into the pipe band scene, her father being a member of the drum corps of the renowned Muirhead & Sons Pipe Band in Scotland, winners of a number of World Pipe Band titles during their heyday.

She began playing the tenor drum in her early teens with Fremantle Ladies Pipe Band and then Perth Ladies, City of South Perth (Coastal Scottish)and a short stay with the WA Irish Pipe Band (City of Armadale)

Margaret says that one of the highlights was performing a drum salute with her 3 brothers and father at the Coastal Scottish Pipe Band 100 year "Centenary Concert". The other was when as a member of the WAPOL drum corps the band won the USA Open in 2001 in Alma Michigan.

Margaret joined WAPOL at the beginning of 2001.

John Giovannetti

Side Drum

John, obviously a man of few words, joined the WA Police Band at the end of 2001. His is currently a student and plays in Open Grade solo.   He was previously with the Armadale City Pipe Band

Nick Craven

Tenor drum

Nick began tenor drumming in the Scotch College Pipe Band in 2001 and was given the position of drum sergeant in his final year at Scotch,  2005.   After leaving school,  he joined the Shadow Highlanders and helped them win their second State Championship title in 2006.

Nick became a member of WAPOL in December of 2006 to play in the Channel 7 Christmas Pageant as his first performance.   He joined with WAPOL in 2007 in Moscow to play in the Kremlin Zoria Military Tattoo.

He looks forward to travelling and competing with WAPOL on the international stage in the future.