Bill Durham Reed Maker
Bill
Durham was born in Kinglassie Scotland, and began piping in 1942 at 11 years of
age. Bowhill Juvenile Colliery Pipe Band was formed in 1943 and in 1948 Bill
was made Pipe Major when the band won the World, European, Scottish and
Fifeshire Championships.
Left:
Bill Durham (Chieftain of the Day – Newcastle Pipe Band Championships), presenting “The Champion Piper of the day trophy” to Adam Harvey (City of Bankstown RSL)
In 1949 Bill was drafted into Bowhill Colliery first grade band (World Champions in 1947). In 1958 he left for Australia to retrain and tutor the Scots School Bathurst Pipe Band, which won their first Australian Championships in 1962, and twice more with numerous other prizes in competition during 27 years of tuition.
Bill was and active competing solo piper, piping adjudicator and seminar instructor of piping
for the New South Wales Pipe Band Association for many years. He voluntarily retired from
active piping after training City of Gosford Pipe Band when they won the Grade 4 State
Championships.
He went into reed making in 1980, but commercially as “Ceol Mor Reeds” in 1990 since the
reeds were appreciated and really being asked for here in Australia and abroad, and is now
a thriving concern.