Pleased to be part of this terrific forum that I have been browsing for the last few months and from which I have gained lots of good kilt and Highland dress tips!
My Scots ancestors were Stewart's who emigrated from Galloway in Southern Scotland to Australia in the early 1890's.
I also have Stewart ancestors on my mothers side.
I was brought up with a pride in being of Scots descent and there were always pipe band and Jimmy Shand records playing in the house particularily at Christmas and on Australia Day and a lot of trying to dance the Highland Fling.
I began learning Scottish drumming at 12 and at 18 joined the Qld Irish Association Pipe Band in 1976 and that was my introduction to wearing the kilt ( we wore MacDonald Lord of the Isles, chosen because it was all green and therefore more Irish apparently)
Over the years I played in three other pipe bands and then in the late 80's moved on to other things.
Earlier this year I had my first kilt hand made by Karen Manger of All Things Tartan, Booval (near Ipswich, Queensland) in Stewart of Galloway tartan from The House of Edgar's Old and Rare Tartan range.
Karen emigrated from Scotland with her mother ( a kilt maker) and they both made kilts for 40 + years here.
I joined the Scottish Tartan's Authority earlier this year and have had a wonderful correspondence with Mr Peter Macdonald, a member here I know. I have asked him innumerable questions about Stewart tartans particularily and he has been an absolute gold mine of information and vaste scholarship in the subject ( and a very nice bloke to boot!).
Beside my original Bain from 1974 I have a nice little collection of tartan related books growing.
Looking forward to making friends here and learning lots.
Cheers!
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