South Australia police band (with ensembles) made a state icon in 2016; wins acclaim at international tattoos

The Band of the South Australia Police in parade mode at Adelaide's Christmas Pageant. Inset: The traditional jazz band is one of the ensembles from the larger band.

Named in 2016 as a state icon, the Band of the South Australia Police marched into the 21st Century having won international acclaim since 1990 at military tattoos in Edinburgh, Germany and Switzerland.

Australia’s first police band (1884) from Australia’s oldest police force (1838), it operated full-time from 1958 and changed from a brass band to a military band with woodwind instruments introduced in 1974.

The band’s free performances were deployed to support police community engagement across a diverse audiences and age groups. It partnered with community organisations to support South Australia-wide local events, helping to raise funds and bolstering morale in difficult times.

The Band of the South Australia Police included large and small ensembles playing different styles to suit the occasion.

The concert band was based on the long tradition of military and service bands but followed trends by adding electronic instruments and vocalists. With 34 members, the concert band included multi-talented instrumentalists who doubled on woodwind, brass and percussion. Several band members also specialised in areas such as sound engineering, musical arranging and compering. The band repertoire spanned traditional military marches, light popular classics, film themes, Broadway songbooks and swing, featuring soloists and sections from the band. The band ran an annual work experience program for young South Australians.

The parade band includes the full contingent in ceremonial marching format for events such as the police graduations, the opening of parliament and the Christmas pageant.

With a repertoire from the Count Basie swing era to Dusty Springfield, Frank Sinatra and Blues Brothers floor shows, the police big band of the South Australia Police enjoyed high demand for corporate and charity events. The Off the Cuff 12-piece ensemble delivered a high-energy mix of Dixieland, Jazz and Dancehall tunes by artists such as the Blues Brothers, Elvis, Dean Martin and more.

The brass quintet from 1986 gave ceremonial and commemorative support plus opportunities to engage with the community. The clarinet quartet, formed in 1966, played a repertoire of baroque, classical, ragtime and popular music. The wind quintet was formed in 1988 by Constable David Burvill-Holmes in the traditional form of flute, oboe, B flat clarinet, French horn and bassoon. The South Australia Police traditional jazz band presented old-school trad jazz and barbershop inspired vocal harmonies. 

The School Beat band performed to children in childcare centres and primary school students to deliver messages about road safety and the police role. The cost of the band within the South Australia police role was rarely questioned. It was raised by Hartley member of parliament Vincent Tarzia in 2016. Tarzia was appointed as government minister for police, emergency services and correctional services in 2020.