Wonthaggi Warblers

1925 – Wonthaggi Boomerang Mouth Organ Championship

The roaring twenties were in full swing at the seaside town of Wonthaggi and in 1925 the local ANA (Australian Natives Association) Musical & Elocutionary competition added the popular Mouth Organ to its annual program.

Just a month earlier, at the prestigious Ballarat South Street competition, the inaugural National Boomerang Mouth Organ Championship was run and won. The inclusion of the mouth organ at this event was met with some disdain when first muted. The same level of antipathy wasn’t evident when three and half thousand plus punters packed the Ballarat Coliseum to witness thirty two competitors vie for the title. The winner, former Victorian Percy Spouse, who was now residing north of the border, blew his tunes on a Miniature Boomerang 10 hole (pictured below).

A stipulation of both Ballarat and Wonthaggi contests was that competitors could only perform on a Boomerang brand mouth organ.

The Wonthaggi contest was promoted as, ‘uncovering the South Gippsland Champion.’ However, the majority of competitors had ventured from Melbourne and its surrounding suburbs. Twelve (one report suggested thirteen) mouth organists battled for the esteemed title to a capacity seated house of twelve hundred at the Soldier’s Theatre (later known as the Plaza Theatre). Sadly, many punters keen to view the battle, had to be turned away.

Twenty one year old local Wonthaggi miner (who wasn’t back then!) and sporting identity, Peter Hasson took out the honours from Stan Sleeth of Archie’s Creek and James Mayger of North Fitzroy, who tied for second place. Waldo Burgoyne of Malvern was credited with third place – I’m not too sure why as logically this is fourth position.

The adjudicator of the Wonthaggi mouth organ competition was W. Charles Fyshe, Mus. Bac. (Melbourne) a well credentialed judge of music not just through his academic study, but also due to his practical accomplishments as an organist and conductor. In his appraisal of Peter’s fine performance he declared, “All his items were clever, however his timing in Mother Macree was inclined to be a little slow.”

I (the author) can declare, with Peter finishing ahead of James Mayger and Waldo Burgoyne, that Peter Hasson had to be the genuine article as James and Waldo were highly proficient adversaries. James had competed in the National championship in Ballarat and finished runner up in the imitation section (bagpipes imitation) to Keith Hogan while Waldo also featured in the Nationals and had won many a mouth organ title. Waldo would eventually be a National champion twice over.

A local newspaper celebrated Peter’s win declaring him the Wonthaggi crackajack on the mouth organ. Perhaps a little dig at the sponsors having to exclusively play Sydney’s Boomerang mouth organs, traded by Albert’s rather than Melbourne’s Crackajack mouth organs sold by Allan’s.

The De Luxe model (pictured above), which was actually shaped like a boomerang, was first witnessed and presented to entrants at the finale of the National tournament.

Interestingly (and I’m slightly surprised) Peter Hasson proclaimed he won playing on the Miniature De Luxe in a Seydel brochure published in 1925. Seydel were the manufacturers of the Boomerang brand for Albert’s.

Translation

In a letter about a harmonica concert held in Wonthaggi  (A.N.A.), which, according to local custom, was also connected with a competition, the winner writes, among other things:

I am happy to confirm the excellent sound qualities of Seydel harmonicas. The model with which I won the championship was a “Miniature Boomerang de Luxe,” and I can, with honor, recommend it to every harmonica player in terms of quality and tone, as well as durability. It is extraordinarily easy to play and blow. I have never owned any other harmonica that resembled the Seydel harmonica in any way.

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1926 – South Gippsland Championship

The following year witnessed increased entries, with James Mayger flipping the previous year’s result by being crowned victor ahead of Peter Hasson and with Stan Sleeth a close up third. Two under age sections were included in 1926. In the under twenty one competition, P. Beaumont from Hicksborough finished in first place, followed by Jack Hutt from Dalyston and Campbell Veal in third. Campbell was also placed in the under sixteen section being runner up to Ted Wells of Wonthaggi.

Stan Sleeth would have his time in the sun winning the 1927 title from Peter Hasson, and in 1928 he tied for first place with T. Nielson of Wonthaggi. Also in 1928, a mouth organ section for those who had never won a prize was held and O. Geary from Wonthaggi took the title eliminating himself from any other such contests in the future. Campbell Veal from Wonthaggi, the runner up, may have been able if he didn’t receive a prize. From there the Championship event goes cold so I’m not sure Cam had the opportunity anyhoo.

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1929 – Vic Mouth Organ Band Championship

The Geelong Mouth Organ Band one of the six contestants to-night for the 3LO prize for the best mouth organ band In Victoria. The entries consist of three Melbourne bands, one from Geelong, one from Wonthaggi, and one from Sandringham. The bands play at Trinity Hall, after which music by the winning band will be broadcast by 3AR at 9:50 p.m. (Mouth Organ Band Contest – Geelong Advertiser, February 26, 1929)

Geelong were victorious defeating the Melbourne Crackajack Mouth Organ Band and the Sunshine Boomerang Mouth Organ Band. Mr. W. G. James, a well respected pianist and composer, had difficulty in separating the bands due to their excellence. Each band was required to perform the test piece Jeannine and one of their own. I haven’t been able to locate any other mention of the Wonthaggi Mouth Organ Band, but there was a Korumburra band just up the road a few years later.

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1937 – Wonthaggi Mine Disaster

Wonthaggi was established on the back of the State owned Black Coal Mine which opened in late 1909. For all intents and purposes, Wonthaggi was a government town. At one point of time, in the pursuit of a name for the town, Bungalow had gained traction, however the railways penchant for shortening station names would see this ruled out – Bung, Bun or Bungle would have been totally inappropriate. Won or Wo not so.

The conservative Victorian Government of the day had decided a need for their own source of black coal (primarily for the use of steam trains) after a prolonged strike of the private owned mines of the Hunter Valley, New South Wales threatened their supply. Being State owned, miners benefited from better conditions than their private counterparts, but as history reveals there were still ongoing problems with management.

On Monday the 15th February, 1937 at 10:00 am a gas explosion at Shaft 20 killed thirteen men, ten deputies, three pumpers and a pit pony (Little Jackie), who were making repairs at the bottom of the 700 foot mine. The force of the blast had sent a three tonne cage, that had been stationary ten feet below the surface, into orbit fifty metres above and the engine house nearby had its roof blown off. The miners were holding a stop work meeting in town at the time of the accident for they had been on strike since the 8th February. When news reached the meeting they were ushered by buses to the site to administer help. Day and night at the mine yards nearly three thousand men, women and children awaited on tenterhooks for any information on the entombed men.

At Footscray oval a special service for the Wonthaggi mine disaster was convened on a sunny Sunday afternoon of the 28th February, 1937. In attendance was Inspector David Besford, a hero of the rescue operations, who provided an account of the search and attempted rescue. Wonthaggi miners Peter Hasson and Mr. W. Campbell entertained the respectful congregation with Peter blowing a mouth organ ditty while Mr. W. Campbell crooned a solo. The Reverend R. Dakers, formerly of Wonthaggi, gave the solemn address which was followed by a minute silence. A collection point was located at the back of the grandstand and the main gates.

A week earlier at Port Arlington, eight bands (130 players) from the Victorian Mouth Organ Band League played a selection of tunes to aid the Miner’s widows with all proceeds going to the Wonthaggi Relief Fund.

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1939 – Wonthaggi Hill Billy Concert Party

A night of music merriment was celebrated at the Union Theatre on Good Friday 1939 that featured a couple of mouth organ items. Phil Spooner (1902 – 1982) a local Wonthaggi miner, performed a mouth organ solo late in the program having earlier delivered a duet on the same instrument with one of his brothers. This would have been either Jack (1909 – 1985), Arthur (1907 – 1986), Edward (1920 – 1981) or Fred (1914 – 1994). Fred also teamed up with good mate Alex Mullins as a vocal duo.

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1931 Dockerty Cup Winners

These Spooner boys were not only musical they were also pretty nifty with their feet. Representing the Wonthaggi Magpies, Arthur, Phil and Jack were part of the successful Dockerty Cup team attaining the title of State Champions. This was some achievement defeating the best metropolitan teams in the State and this would be the only occasion in the long history of the cup to be won by a regional team. Phil Spooner was prominent in their win streaming down the left wing and setting up many opportunities for scoring. The Spooner boys hailed from Durham England and arrived on our sunny shores a little after the Great War, where their father John (you guessed it) worked as a coal miner.

Fred served his country with distinction in the Second World War as a member of the Rats of Tobruk. He would often share his anecdotes and vocal gifts on social occasions at the Taberner’s Whalebone Hotel.

You would reckon that Phil would have produced his ‘band in the hand’ from his waistcoat pocket and blown a few melodies there too! The hotel has a unique archway that still stands today, a set of whale jaw bones standing almost 20 feet high and 15 feet wide bought by then owner Charles Taberner for £25.

The jaw bones were sourced from a twenty two and half metre Sperm whale which had washed up on the back beach of Wonthaggi in 1923.

1952 – St. Joseph’s Boys Mouth Organ Band

The St. Joseph’s Catholic school enjoyed a mouth organ band of eleven lads, who performed for the first time in their school hall between bouts of a wrestling/boxing vaudeville show.

They played three numbers supported by their teacher Jim Moule, guitarist Kevin Jackson and pianist Edith Lindsay. Looks like Jim was the mouth organ tutor as he appeared in the radio battle of the towns exhibiting his skills on the pocket instrument with a rendition of Bells of St. Mary’s.

Praise be to God for all the Wonny Warblers through the years and those to come.

Lord have mercy.

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