The City of Hamilton HPB was a Grade 4 band based in the city of Hamilton, which is the major commercial centre of the Waikato region in the central North island of New Zealand. Hamilton in NZ's fourth largest city.

The COHHP Band shown above is practising for the 1995 Whakatane contests.

The City of Hamilton HPB went into recess in 2008. Piping and drumming tuition was provided for learners. However the progress of time and the expansion of the Hamilton Caledonian Society Pipe Band with it's greater capacity for better tuition in the early 21st Century saw recruitment drop away. Originally the band was a breakaway from the Hamilton Caledonian Soc. P.B. in the 1950's when P/Mjr Albert Sheath of the Hamilton Cale formed the The City of Hamilton Pipe band. The band had a varied life and active part in parades organised by the Central North Island Centre (CNIC) of the RNZPBA Inc.

Younger members were given the chance of participating in the " CINC Youth Pipe Band" - setup to cater for the under 18 year old pipers and drummers and to provide concentrated "camps" for the overall improvement of Pipe Bands in the region. However this youth program had a two-fold effect. It did/does provide good training for younger pipe band members from the various central north island bands, but it also contributed to a drain of those younger members into the Hamilton Caledonian Society Pipe Band, where the standard of tuition is more consistent. This problem still exists, not as a deliberate policy, but as a result of idle comments and peer pressure from younger bandsfolk. The youth band meets in Rotorua facilities for the first week of each school holidays.

The band had a couple of tartan during it's lifetime but that worn since the 1980's was the Ancient Hunting Hamilton. In the 1990's full number one style uniform was dropped in favour of the modern style walkout uniform.

The City of Hamilton Pipe Band once welcomed new members wishing to enjoy piping outside the competition field, and folk wanting to learn to play the bagpipes or the drums. Sadly membership dropped below sustainability and the only option was to go into recess and to dispose of gear in accord with society rules.
Some members moved to the Te Awamutu and Districts Pipe Band and some to the veteran band which is within the Hamilton Caledonian Society Pipe band fold. The Hamilton Caledonian Society Pipe Band has it's own premises in Frankton (a suburb of Hamilton) and has 4 pipe bands with it's ranks. Competing Grade 4, Grade 3 and Grade 1 bands, plus a social,veterans pipe band.
The Te Awamutu & Districts Pipe Band is based in a small rural service town 20 minutes drive south of Hamilton. This is a band rebuilding membership numbers and has an aim of competing again in it's own right. Some members from this band combined with members from other bands in the region who were also interested in competition and competed as the Central Highlanders Pipe Band, in Grade 4. The Cambridge and Districts Pipe Band, based in the nearby rural service town of Cambridge, since 2007 the C&DPB often joins the Te Awamutu band for social parades just as it used to assist the City of Hamilton Pipe Band during the 1980's and 1990's. Currently the Cambridge Band is non-competing, but it actively supports community parades, Clan gatherings and the like. It provides a social band environment for pipers and drummers, 20 minutes NE from Te Awamutu and 20 minutes East of Hamilton. C&DPB membership can field around 14 pipers and 5 drummers (2008) on a good day.

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This web-page is sponsored by Mitchell Kilt Hire, authored by B.Mitchell. Upd.6/10/2008