History

The St Marys District Band Club has a very colourful history. In fact, it can trace back its roots right back to when the St Marys District Band was organised in 1882.

Over the following 70 years several bands were formed in the district at various times and in 1923 a local businessman, Joe Armstein, gave the band a property containing a hall at St Mary’s. The modern version of the band came into existence in 1952, with Brian King as president and Ern Keller as bandmaster. The members of this band reclaimed their hall which was extremely run down and in need of extensive repairs. Changes to the liquor laws in 1964 sparked the idea among netent members to set up their own club and apply for a liquor license as a way to raise funds to keep the band going.

With help from local business people who donated goods and services to get the hall into a decent state, the St Marys District Band Club was finally granted a license in 1966, on the same day that Penrith Panthers were granted a license.

That was the start of something big for the Band Club, which has undergone numerous refurbishments during the intervening 56 years.

Outside Club Pipe Band