
AILEEN Cooper wears her heart on her sleeve as she displays her family crest, the Cameron clan, on her tartan.
Originally from the Western District of Victoria, Aileen has always held her culture close through her devotion to Highland dancing and piping.
“There’s a huge population of people who’ve descended from Scots, the Irish and the Celtic ancestry,” she said.
“There’s pipe bands and Highland dancing classes everywhere. There was always ‘You can do it if you want to, but you don’t have to,’ but you just felt like it was part of you.”
Aileen grew up wanting to learn to dance, and her dance classes led her towards piping.
“The pipe band recruited any Highland dancer who looked big enough to hold an instrument – that’s how it started,” Aileen said.
Although Aileen outgrew Highland dancing after numerous years, she never gave up on piping.
She first started learning pipe in 1963 at just eight years old and hasn’t stopped since.
“I do it because I love it. I can’t image not playing. Even if there was no pipe band around, I always found a way to play,” she said.
“It’s like everything – if you don’t use it, you lose it.”
Aileen lives and breathes piping as she has performed for various events, including weddings, funerals, Anzac Day and other services.
“I’ve always been involved with the RSL. My father was a returned serviceman,” Aileen said.
“I usually go play for them while they’re laying wreaths and things – that’s special for me.”
“Certainly, playing for the RSLs has been a big thing for me always,” she added.
In the past, Aileen has taught people to play the bagpipes but felt that people would be better off finding lessons elsewhere.
“It’s not much point in me trying to teach someone now when they’re better off going to a band,” she said.
“The world’s your oyster now with piping – there’s always opportunities if you look for them.”
She continues to play the pipes as much as possible, especially in her beautiful garden.
“I’ve got a lovely garden, and I just stand out in the garden and play,” Aileen said.
“It’s my happy place. I’m just thinking about the music, and at home, I often play to myself because I can.”
With more than 500 songs that she knows off-by-heart, Aileen never goes anywhere without her pipes.
“A good piper never goes anywhere without their pipes,” she said.
“You never know when somebody might need a piper, or when you might find a nice place to do some piping.”