BANSW Management Committee Members

My formative years were spent playing with Yagoona Band from the age of 7 under the tutelage of Mr Dick Stenning. Throughout my 30 years of Banding, I have traveled extensively around Australia and New Zealand with Bands, met many great people, made many great friends and been priveledged enough to have won many Regional, State and National Solo titles.

A Banker by trade, I have always taken the view that my work career has only ever served to provide me with the means to pursue my other life career.

While Elaine Markham was full time Secretary of the Association in the late '80's and most of the '90's, I got to see first hand all the functions and goings-on of the Association. For all that period, the Band Association was a full time resident in our family home which meant the Association was a significant part of all our lives. After working at all Association functions and events throughout this period I was elected to the Management Committee for a short time.

Having been a member of two NSW State Youth bands, I have also played, at some stage, with almost every Brass Band in the Sydney / Newcastle / Wollongong regions plus a short period as Conductor of Bankstown City Band. I also played in the Bankstown P.C.Y.C. Concert Band from 1987 until the band folded.

I am currently in my 20th year as a member of the NSW Fire Brigades Band with whom I have travelled extensively throughout Australia, USA, Canada and China and most recently toured to Austria.

Banding has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember and I am very proud and humbled to hold my current position of President of the BANSW and NBCA Councillor.

Vice President
Liaison Officer

Norm first blew a brass instrument at Harden Town and District Band (Sam Glen) in 1945. It was a baritone and Norm said it had more holes in it that weren’t intended than were! He later graduated to euphonium.

In 1947 his family moved to Cowra and Norm joined The Cowra District Band (Charles Knight) and he was given a flugel horn. It was with Cowra Band that he first experienced contesting (Junior and D Grade) at the State Contest in 1948 held in the open at Kogarah Oval, Sydney.

In 1951 his family moved to Taree and Norm joined the Taree Concert Brass Band (Bill Middleton). In Taree Norm joined the CBC Bank and so started a journey throughout NSW with frequent transfers. Where there was local band he joined. In 1954 he was transferred to Singleton and joined the Singleton Town Band (Alex Tisdell), one of the oldest bands in NSW having been formed in 1878.

In 1956 Norm was called up for National Service Training and was selected for the 2 National Service Training

Brigade Band (WO2 H Dray) and later with the 17/18 Infantry Battalion Band (Sgt Charles Lloyd) at Chatswood. Chas Lloyd was also MD of the Canterbury District Band and inevitably Norm was “drafted” into this Band. He played with these bands until he was transferred to Gosford in 1958 where he became involved with the forming of the Gosford Boys Band (Alex Clulow) later Gosford City Band. It was with Gosford that he again became involved with contesting, playing in the winning D and C Grade Bands in 1960. He also became a delegate to the Band Association of NSW which in those days had monthly general meetings.

In 1964 he was transferred back to Singleton where he joined up again with the Singleton Town Band until he was transferred to Head Office, Sydney, of the CBC Bank in 1967. After a break Norm and his brother Bill joined Bankstown Municipal (now City) Band under Ted Simons in 1969 and saw the band progress from D to B Grade. In 1973 he was appointed Musical Director of the Band, a position he held until 1983. During this time he also played with Blacktown City Band under Bill Soames and later Tom Gawn. He was awarded Life Membership of Bankstown City in 1986.

He again became active with the Band Association and in 1971 was elected to the Association’s then Executive Committee when Tom Gawn was President and Les Turner Secretary. In 1973 he was elected Treasurer of the Association, a position he held for 14 of the next 20 years. In 1983 he was elected President of the Association, a position he held for six years. During this period the Australian National Bicentenary Band Championships were held in Sydney in 1988. One of the highlights of his years in banding was to host the famous Black Dyke Mills Band as guest band for the celebrations.

He retired from banding in 1989 for business and health reasons until 2009 when, after a period of volunteering to assist in the Association’s office, was appointed Secretary to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of the previous Secretary. Norm was awarded Life Membership of the Band Association of NSW in 1985.