At dusk on Saturday night, Quirindi was filled with the keening of massed pipes and the thundering of drums when it held its third annual military tattoo.
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They're sounds not heard often in rural areas and a spectacle that drew hundreds of people to Longfield Park, Liverpool Plains Shire mayor Andrew Hope said.
"We're finding people are coming from all over the district because it's something very unique," Cr Hope said.
Estimates put the crowd at anywhere up to 1000 people.
Cr Hope said that "when the main event kicked off about 7 o’clock, the grandstands were full and there were people all around the ground".
The brainchild of councillor and Quirindi RSL Sub-branch president Doug Hawkins, the event is a partnership between the council, the sub-branch and the Quirindi and District Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism.
The day got started with an afternoon of market stalls and family fun, followed by the music and dance acts.
They were the Fireside Celts, Tamworth Highland Society Pipe Band, City of Blacktown Pipe Band, Governor Macquarie’s Memorial Pipe Band and Bellinger River District Pipe Band.
Then, the Down Under the Kilt Dancers marched with the massed pipe bands, in an "amazing" finale.
"Massed pipes are always pretty special and something you don’t get to see in the bush," Cr Hope said.
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The night came to a close with fireworks which, he said, went off without a hitch despite the dry times.
"We actually have a pyrotechnician on council [staff], who is also one of the local Lions Club members," Cr Hope said.
"We’re very fortunate in that space; we had the Rural Fire Service there as well, and had been watering the grounds so they were nice and green and we didn't have an issue."
Looking ahead
Cr Hawkins said planning was already under way for the fourth annual event, including inviting the 2019 bands as well as some new ones.
More support from the state government was also being sought.
"We get community grants to run it, but we’ve run it on a very thin edge," Cr Hawkins said.
"We're hoping to get some reasonable sort of funding from the state government, and I've started that process with my local member [Upper Hunter MP Michael Johnsen]."
The shire commissioned and registered its own tartan in 2017, and Cr Hawkins' vision is to re-form a local pipe band to ensure homegrown support for, and the future of, the event.
"For the last 25 or 30 years or so it fell over, and I’m trying to resurrect it."
Cr Hope said the event was growing every year.
"All the motels were full; the pubs and clubs were full throughout the day," he said.
"The pipe band members and their families alone were probably in the vicinity of 100 people."
Cr Hawkins said his aim in conceiving the event had been to provide a unique drawcard to Quirindi and the Liverpool Plains.
“It has been a bit of a grind to get it off the ground … until people see you can prove that it will work," he said.
"Now, I think it is going from strength to strength."