The Band Tartan

The band wears the McKenzie Tartan in honour of the band's first Pipe Major: Bob McKenzie.

The Band Crest

The band also wears the badge of the McKenzie Clan of Seaforth - a Stag's Head with the motto: "Cuidich 'N Righ" meaning "Help the King".

The motto and stag's head come from the heroic rescue of King Alexander III by Colin MacCoinneach in 1263 who saved the king from a charging stag by shooting it dead with an arrow. For this deed and for his victory at the battle of Largs against the Danes in 1263, he was awarded the lands of Kintail, the free Barony of Kintail, the arms of a golden stag's head and the right to be the hereditary Royal body guard.

A Brief History

St Andrews Caledonian Pipe Band was formed in 1933 from the Caledonian Society and the St Andrews Pipers. Located in Launceston, in the island state of Tasmania, Australia, the band is Tasmania's oldest and longest continuing band.

Performing at annual community events, the band enjoys a strong community following in Northern Tasmania and their 75th Anniversary in 2008 was acknowledged by the Launceston City Council with a Civic Reception.

Celtic Force and Scottish Power

The band's reputation as performers with broad ranging appeal has grown considerably over the last decade after the band began an ambitious annual performance programme in 1999.

The shows Celtic Force and Scottish Power: Lords of the Isles perform to thousands of local patrons annually in Launceston, Burnie and Devonport.

The shows have featured every pipe band in Tasmania along with hundreds of community performers who have leant their style to the Celtic idiom.

World Pipe Band Championships

As the band's skill in treading the boards increased, so did their ambitions and in 2005 St Andrews Caledonian Pipe Band produced a CD from the show and self-funded a concert tour of Scotland. The tour included performances at Edinburgh and Stirling Castles, the Isles of Skye and Orkney and they became the first Tasmanian Pipe Band to compete in the World Pipe Band Championships. They also entered the Guinness Book of Records at Pipefest as being part of the largest pipe band ever formed.

The band is gearing up for a 2010 tour of Scotland and Ireland and will compete at the World Pipe Band Championships and the Cowal Highland Games.