General News
4 January, 2025
Summer reading: Great Scottish pride
THERE were MacGillivrays, McKenzies, Davidsons and Blows - Scots and their descendants who arrived in Pyramid Hill from the 1870s onwards. Proud of the native land they left behind, these Scots were part of the Pyramid Hill community fabric for...
THERE were MacGillivrays, McKenzies, Davidsons and Blows - Scots and their descendants who arrived in Pyramid Hill from the 1870s onwards.
Proud of the native land they left behind, these Scots were part of the Pyramid Hill community fabric for generations.
They formed a caledonian society, a pipe band and celebrated all things Scottish with haggis, whisky, music and dance.
The contribution of the Scots to Pyramid Hill have been chronicled in a book to be launched by the town’s historical society this Sunday at its Scots Whae Hae day.
Once more, there will be music ringing around the memorial hall like there was in the town back in 1921 when the caledonian society, just two years old, hosted a visit by the Australian Ladies’ Pipe Band.
ANZAC veteran and former Bendigo Base Hospital ward orderly William Darwin brought his band of young pipers, drummers and dancers to town as they prepared lofty plans to tour Scotland.
The Melbourne-based band did make it to Scotland in 1926, playing before King George and Queen Mary and performed with Sir Harry Lauder.
That was the same year Pyramid Hill staged its fifth highland gathering and just 12 months after forming its own pipe band.
Highland gatherings were big in the years leading up to World War Two.
Articles compiled from the former Pyramid Hill Advertiser by Margaret Williamson and assisted by Helen Stevens have been put into the book whose launch has been three years in the waiting after COVID scuttled earlier plans.
The history of the pipe band and contributions of the MacGillivray family are chartered through the years - hosting visiting pipe and brass bands, heading off to other towns in the region and being part of the Maryborough Highland Gathering, the oldest Scottish event in the Southern Hemisphere, first held in 1857.
The band was a member for many years of the Victorian Highland Pipe Band Association, the first pipe band association formed in the world and this year marking its centenary.
For the caledonian society itself, there
was membership of the Victorian Scottish Union. And in 1926, Pyramid Hill hosted the union’s annual conference.
Malcolm MacGillivay, first chieftain of the local organisation, was equally to the fore in VSU affairs serving in top positions and proving a most friendly host when representations from more than a dozen kindred groups came for the conference.
The historical society’s book charts the support for community activities of the local caledonian society and pipe band.
There’s farewelling and welcoming soldiers and families over the decades, raising funds for the new memorial hall and the pipe band even lending the hand of support to the local brass band.
Members of the Blow family were ac-
tive in the pipe band before moving to Calivil where Angus taught youngsters in that district the bagpipes and formed a pipe band, assisted by Pyramid Hill’s band through the donation of kilts in the Gordon tartan.
Both bands would wear that tartan, a Scottish highland regiment cloth but also the same name as the the local council, Pyramid Hill a part of the then-Gordon Shire.
Pyramid Hill revived its pipe band after World War Two - many members had enlisted in the army in 1939 and 1940 - and again became part of social life.
Burns Nights in January celebrated the great Scottish poet Robbie Burns, appearances on Anzac Day kept returned servicemen in step while annual balls once
more enlivened the community as did music on that other great Scottish celebration Hogmanay - New Year’s Eve.
Scottish culture was promoted through highland dancing at the annual Pyramid Hill Agricultural Show
The book Scots Whae Hae gives an insight into commitment to community by people like the caledonian society’s Malcolm MacGillivray, a shire councillor for more than 25 years and on the board of Pyramid Hill Co-operative Society almost as long.
He had been instrumental in forming the caledonian society and was again its chief in the 1960s.
Sunday’s celebration will pay homage to Scots of Pyramid Hill and their legacy that lives on today.