Hosking’s Haunting Harp

Ernest Garibaldi Hosking conjured his inaugural appearance on this mortal coil at the gold mining town of Ballarat in 1861, the seventh child of Samuel Hosking and Mary Hosking. He was a compositor by trade and employed on a ‘spiritist’ newspaper in Melbourne. Ernest was a man of many talents, one of which was the art of illusion. His expertise here inspired him to form the Australian Society of Magicians in 1907, the fourth such society founded in the world. Another talent was his expertise on the mouth organ. Here’s a report on his act titled ‘Music & Mirth’ at the Frankston Band Concert in 1892 that reflects his multi talented skills.

A most successful concert in aid of the funds of the local band, was held at the Mechanics’ Institute on Friday evening last. The Hon. L. L. Smith occupied the chair, and his humorous manner contributed largely to the success of the evening. Most of the numbers on the programme were rendered by visitors, and the singing generally was of a high class order. Professor Ernest Hosking in his entertainment, “music and mirth,” astonished the audience with the music that is to be got out of the common mouth organ. His disappearing bird cage trick was most successfully performed, and later on in his exhibition of ventriloquism and mimicry, the audience was convulsed by his dialogue with the famous “Ally Sloper,” whose nose by the way seems to grow daily. It was hard to believe that “Ally ” was not speaking. (Mornington Standard, 17 November 1892)

A few years later Ernest was still astonishing audiences with the tones he produced from the common mouth organ. In a Tasmanian (Zeehan & Dundas) paper of 13th May 1895, his mouth organ performance was noted thus, “Hosking proved that even from that instrument of torture — the mouth organ — music can be produced by those who know how to do it.”

On several occasions Ernest appeared before State Governors of the day and once, before the first Governor General Lord Linlithgow, who presented him with a diamond ring in appreciation of his abilities.

His mouth organ skills reached the heady heights of being paid as a promoter of Boomerang Mouth Organs. Seydel even had his written endorsement printed on the wax leaflet supplied with each Boomerang mouth organ.

Mouth Organ Champion

Magian of Music

Professor Hosking was a good friend of Frank Albert, head honcho of Albert’s music house and of Boomerang mouth organ fame. In their Sydney King street office, a photograph of Ernest was prominently exhibited under the grand title of ‘Magian of Magic’. Frank’s passion for magic was witnessed with the many items of conjuring tricks offered alongside the musical instruments in his emporium.

Another eminent friend of Ernest that you may have encountered in your travels was Houdini, the great escapologist.

Houdini journeyed down under in 1910 and performed his great escape in Melbourne’s Yarra River. Here’s an account of his extrication, witnessed with an audience of twenty thousand locals, scribed by an Argus reporter (19th February 1910).

Houdini, clad in a bright blue bathing costume, stood on the parapet of the bridge facing the shipping. First, his attendant passed a chain around his neck, and fastened it with a padlock just under his chin, so that it could not be pulled over his head. At the ends of the chain were handcuffs, apparently of the ordinary police type, and these were snapped around his arms. His wrists were next held behind his back with a padlock, and another chain ran to the one about the back of his neck, to which it was joined by a third padlock. Several of the bystanders tested the locks, and pronounced them to be secure. Houdini is an adept at diving. Throwing himself well forward from the bridge, he took a beautiful header, cutting the water clean and with the least possible splash. He was lost to sight after entering the murky water of the Yarra, which at this spot is about 10ft. 8in. deep at low tide, so that the curious were finable to observe how the trick of springing the locks was performed. Tbe crowd watched intently, and, after be had been under water for a few seconds, Houdini re-appeared, holding the chains above his head. His feat was rewarded with great cheering. He was taken into the police boat and back to the Opera house, having, as he stated, enjoyed himself very much, notwithstanding that he had to work in mud up to his armpits to free himself of the chains.

Exposing the Fakes

Hosking debunked many of the spiritualistic fraudsters of the day, in particular a Mrs Mellon and her ghosts, by reproducing her deception on stage. The Bulletin in 1898 represented him as “the spook exposing juggler”.

Ernest was no fake – a man way ahead of his time. He may have played a few ghost notes on his mouth organ and exposed the ghost fraudsters of the day, but I wonder if deep down he considered there was an afterlife. I certainly have an open mind on the subject and have had a couple of experiences that make me wonder. A recent event awoke this curiosity.

Nan?

Just over a year ago my childhood home was listed for sale. The real estate agent posted a photograph of the frontage of an empty house online. Instantly when I viewed the image I espied Nan (top right of middle window frame), who had lived in an extension of the house prior to her passing in 1980. Yes I realise the window acts as a mirror of the trees across the road and could be seen merely as a trick of the light.

Nan’s ashes had been scattered in the backyard after the internment of them at a local cemetery had proven too costly. Previously, one night, not that long after she passed, I awoke with a jump and I could have sworn she was by the foot of my bed. We had a unique bond and in my formative years I was closer to her than my mother, who worked assiduously during the day for a local Swedish stainless steel company.

Can anyone else see Nan and is that Grandy there as well? By the way Ernest, it’s not a fake photo! The original colour photo straight from the agent’s website is below.

She Was Real – Jon English

Penning this article also reminded me of Jon English’s tune She Was Real from his 1983 album ‘Some People’. I remember asking Jon many moons ago on the writing of this song. If my memory is up to scratch, Jon had read a small newspaper clipping while in the UK that related this story. He followed up by researching an article in a tourist book titled ‘Ghosts of Essex’. The reason for composing the tune was that he knew the location, North Essex, and had often driven the roundabout (Chelmsford) in question. He also related that he had found nothing extraordinary there and it wasn’t at all spooky. Jon mentioned the guy was described as extremely agitated and distressed, which he read as being scared shitless.

It was cold and it was dark, when I stopped my Yamaha and I looked down at my road map, I thought I had gone too far. It was one of those Autumn nights, pitch black, with a mist in the air when you can't see anything close up, but you know there's someone there. So I pulled out my flashlight and shone it in the night. I heard a voice calling softly and I caught her in the light. She was all dressed in jeans and leathers. She looked lost and afraid and she whispered, “can you help me, I must have lost my way?” She was real, my heart did a somersault. She was real, she came near, I said, “Hey, you gave me quite a turn just what the hell are you doing out here?” She was real, she said, “I don't remember.” She was real, she looked at me, So I said, “Where do you want to go?” She said, “I live by the sea.” She was real, I swear she was real. Well I ain't no Greek statue, but she was something to be seen. She had this long dark hair, eyes like a cat. She was no more than nineteen and you see I didn't think it right to ask just why she was all alone. I just took it to be boyfriend trouble, so I said, “I'll take you home.” She was real, she gave me her address or else I wouldn't be here. She was real she climbed up on the back of my bike and she showed no fear. She was real, soft she put her arms around me. She was real, she held on tight and she was real as we shouted our conversation as we thundered through the night, faster. She was real, I swear she was real. It was raining, and the mist was coming in. She looked at me, she said, “Hey, I want to get home fast.” I told her I'd do my best and when I asked her out next Saturday, God help me, she said yes, and the wind was snatching our voices away, but I felt good inside. There was me and Suzy riding out there just busting with pride, feeling good and she was real when I took the roundabout. Just as real as the wind in my hair. She was real when I turned to look at her my God, she wasn't there. She was real, she told me her name. I went shouting out the same. I went stumbling through the undergrowth screaming like a man in pain. My God she must have fallen off, but I swear I didn't feel her fall. I went looking, searching, looking and then I gave the cops a call. The cops came, found nothing. It was sunrise when they got there. Nine am when the searching broke. I guess it must have been the look on my face that told them it weren't no joke. So I gave them Suzy's address and they took me round there in the car. I just wanted to go with them I couldn't face my Yamaha and Suzy's mother answered. She had Suzy's hair and Suzy's eyes and when I told her what had happened, she just broke down and she cried and she told me I was cruel and heartless to tease an old lady so and she told me Suzy died on that roundabout twelve years ago. She was real, there's a photo on the fireplace, dated 1965, but she was real. She was on the back of my bike, she was soft, she was alive. I swear she was real, I ain't going crazy. I touched her and she touched me. So I guess I'll get on back to that roundabout she’s waiting there for me, she's waiting. She's real, I swear she's real, she was real. I ain't crazy, she was real. I ain't crazy! 

She Was Real – Jon English (1983)

KOJAK

Then there’s Kojak’s (Telly Savalas) encounter with a ghost. Why would he make it up? Click on his mug to hear his account.

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