Band Members

of the Royal Australian Engineers. He later directed the Western Command Band, the Southern Command Band, and the Band of the Royal Military College Duntroon. In 1983 he was appointed Director of Music, Australian Army Band Corps with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

During this period he influenced the future pace of the Nation by setting the official tempo of the Australian National Anthem, "Advance Australia Fair", at 104 crotchets per minute. Colin played tuba with the Canberra Symphony for twenty years and has been Musical Director for many shows for Canberra Philharmonic and other Canberra companies. Following retirement from the Army in 1986, he conducted the Canberra City Band for nine years before taking up the position of Musical Director of the Hall Village Brass Band in 1996.

The Bandroom at RMC Duntroon is named in his honour and his many other awards vary from the MBE to being voted Best Musical Director of the Year in 1997.

Colin Fischer began his musical career by joining the Salvation Army Band in Adelaide in the early 1940's. His father, a Salvation Army Officer and a returned soldier from the 1914-18 war, was delighted that his third son had taken up a brass instrument, just as he had when he was a lad. Colin developed his playing on the Baritone and was chosen to play in the State Divisional Youth band of South Australia. Just before completing his qualifications as a Railway Steam Locomotive Driver, he decided to pursue a career in music full-time, and joined the Australian Army Band Corps in 1951 as a musician tuba player.

Skilled on the Euphonium, EBass, BB Bass and the now-obsolete G Trombone, he had many interesting experiences, including playing at the Melbourne Olympics. He graduated as a bandmaster in 1960 and was appointed to the Band