​2024 Sir Rupert Hamer Award Recipient

Pipe Bands Victoria is delighted to announce Mr Christopher Bouwmeester as the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Sir Rupert Hamer Award.
The award is the highest honour our organisation bestows on a person and acknowledges a significant contribution and personal commitment to supporting the objectives of Pipe Bands Victoria and Pipe Bands Australia over a period of many years.

Christopher Bouwmeester has been a member of the pipe band community in Victoria for 48 years as a piper, drummer and committee member of both the City of Melbourne Highland Pipe Band and Pipe Bands Victoria.

Chris commenced his piping career at the age of 12 at Golden City Pipe Band and
joined the City of Melbourne Highland Pipe Band in 1984, being awarded life membership in 2004. At the City of Melbourne he has served as Secretary (1989 – 1993), Treasurer (2019) and President (2002 – 2017 and 2019 – present) as well as Pipe Major of the No. 2 band. He also heads up the band’s extensive learner program and serves as a piping tutor. 

In addition to his contributions within the City of Melbourne Pipe Band, Chris has held leadership positions on the Pipe Bands Victoria Executive Committee, including Vice President and in his current role as Treasurer. He also represents Victoria at a national level as a PBA Councillor. His support of our organisation, along with the promotion and wider development of the pipe band movement in general, is simply outstanding.

I congratulate Chris as a most worthy recipient of the 2024 Sir Rupert Hamer Award and thank him for his continued (and amazing) service to the pipe band community in Victoria.

​Karen Wallace, Chair Pipe Bands Victoria.