The following was sent to me, along with these images.
James Martin was apprenticed to James Robertson, and was eventually his foreman. He came out to Sydney in the late 1950s and brought his tools with him. He used blackwood and ivory and that stopped in 1974. He then experimented with other mounts and used catalin and a white material. He stopped in the 1980’s. His early pipes are described as very good, but later as his tools wore, the bored decreased in size, and his latter pipes were not as good. (he was described as a tight arsed bastard who would not pay for new tools), but a very good pipe maker all the same.
I will see what I can find out. He had quite a good reputation. The pipes play very well and the girl who now plays them was quite a good competitor in the intermediate grades. I do not know who did the silver, I suspect it was probably imported. Hall marking is PN and Birmingham markings of anchor and Lion.
A few pics for your museum.
This is a set of James Martin bagpipes made in New South Wales Australia back in the 1960’s.
They have quite distinctive projection mounts.
This set was a prize at the Australian Solo championships in the late 50’s early 60’e won by PM Dickie Hepburn formerley of the Bonhill Parish Pipe Band whp won many grade 1 prizes in Scotland, including the Edinburgh Open Championships and second at the Worlds, I believe.
