Hasson’s Gold

I was honoured to be a guest presenter at our local historical society last month. This is what we covered.

Aussie brands (German made), Champions, Newsboy Jack Church, Northcote State School, Down the Mines, Lady Gibson Carmichael, Competitions, Mary Hardy, Hill Billy Concert, How to Compliment a Banjo Player, Stan Sleeth, South Street Ballarat, City Newsboys Society, Most Owned Instrument, Footscray Oval, Woolloomooloo Warblers, Timing, William Forster, HMAT Euripides, 3DB, Cross Harp, Affordability, Spike Milligan, 1937 Mining Disaster, The two Sonny Boys, Campbell Veal, Union Theatre, Peter Hasson, Technique, Phil Spooner, 3LO, Mouth Organ Bands, Toorak/Sth Yarra Try Boys, Hymn, In the Outback, Tone, Les ‘Hooker’ Benoit, Trios, Native Waratahs, How to Quieten a Harmonica Player, Bill Collins, Boomerangs, Foxtrot, Little & Big Walter, First Position, Mother Macree, Korumburra, Kyneton, Crackajacks, The Goons, Gene Jimae, Bagpipes and Balloons, Portability, Loch Lomond, Electrachords, March, Walter Omond, Diggers Theatre, Nth Wonthaggi Methodist, Stalag 444, Harness Racing, Chromatics, Reverend (Padre) Rex Dakers, Crackajack Ladies, Magpies, Coliseum, Stu Hunter, Nose Blowing, Penthouse Club, Jim Moule, In the Trenches, Max Geldray, Little Jackie, St. Josephs School, P C Spouse and more.

Oops went a little overtime (only by about twenty minutes).

They wouldn’t let me leave without playing so we blew an ambulance siren, chased some chooks, talked to a little boy who had lost his mama and weaved in a locomotive train. I also opened with an old style vamping version of Home Sweet Home.

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On the night, we officially recognised my historical research relating to the mouth organ in my home town. See more at Wonthaggi Warblers. The primary focus was on local sporting legend Peter Hasson’s success on the instrument that fits in your pocket. We were in for a special treat as Peter’s Granddaughter, Maxine, was in attendance carrying four of his medals.

The Gold 1925 Boomerang South Gippsland Champion medal was there, along with the Silver medal from the following year and two others that required further examination.

After a little brain power, a few searches and rejecting Walt Disney Classics Collection, the third medal above with the acronym W. D. C. C. & U. B. engraved was for Wonthaggi Dalyston Coursing Club and Union Bank.

Greyhound racing was a prominent pastime in the coal district with many miners owning and racing dogs. Hopping on the Dalyston express at Wonthaggi station with their prized canines, they rambled to the picturesque Dalyston Plumpton to race. Like the mouth organ, the greyhound was an affordable and portable friend for the miner. My manager helped with the ‘U’ for Union, tanks Pam.

How the Cuckoo brand of mouth organs became a sponsor to this event is a fascinating mystery. A. C. Cooke of Sydney had trademarked this brand in 1925. Head office was in Sydney, but there was an office in Melbourne at Post Office Place. I wonder if there were stockists of the Cuckoo brand in ‘Wonny’ as I would presume competitors had to perform on a Cuckoo mouth organ. You may also be aware I picked up a Cuckoo accordion here in Wonthaggi from the Funky Pickers Shed. Could it have been Peter Hasson’s?

The W. M. & E., inscribed on the last medal pictured, refers to Wonthaggi Music & Elocutionary. The A.N.A. (Australian Natives Association) ceased their six year relationship with the event after the 1927 competition operated at a heavy financial loss. A public meeting on the 14th May 1927 decided to continue with the Musical & Elocutionary Competition. Mr. W. Stibbs was elected president and Mr. C. Burge secretary. There is no records of a mouth organ competition after 1928 that I could locate, but clearly there was (perhaps 1929) with Peter Hasson’s undated first place medal (third medal pictured above) providing irrefutable evidence. The 1928 M & E Mouth Organ Competition witnessed a sensational tie for first place between Stan Sleeth of Archie’s Creek and T. Nielson of Wonthaggi

During the evening I made mention of the Footscray Service held in memoriam for the thirteen men and pit pony (Little Jackie), who had lost their lives in the 1937 Wonthaggi Mining Disaster. Peter played the Mouth Organ while the Reverend Rex Dakers, former minister at North Wonthaggi Methodist (1932 -35), provided a moving and solemn address at the service. After the evening had concluded, Maxine informed me that Peter and the Reverend were great mates and that Pete was a strict Methodist, who didn’t drink or smoke. Rex’s life story is worthy of a movie.

During WWII, even though Padre Rex was made aware of his imminent capture and offered the opportunity to escape, he refused to leave the wounded. At the Stalag he had the invitation to bunk with the captured Officers, but he preferred the company of the rank and file. Rex also intervened when a German soldier was about to execute two men. Padre Dakers argued they hadn’t received a trial and to execute them would be a war crime. Rex forcefully informed the German soldier that if he shot them, he’d have to shoot him, too. One of the men was Yitzchak Persky, who would later father Shimon Peres, who would go on to be Prime Minister and President of Israel.

The miners of Wonthaggi loved the Reverend, a man after their own hearts. There had been several complaints to management from the miners regarding the conditions in one of the shafts. The issue was fiercely contested between the two parties. That’s when the Reverend hatched a plan.

Rex to the rescue.

Could Rex have gone down the mine on Peter’s token?

Maxine also mentioned Peter was quite proficient on a variety of instruments including the accordion. I wonder?

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PS: Here’s a wonderful description of the Dalyston Plumpton from ‘The Punch’ (Thursday 18th June 1914).

From a spectator's point of view, the ground is the finest natural plumpton ever opened. Half-way up the arena is a large hill, rising with severe steepness and capable of holding many thousands of people. The finest panorama ever seen from an enclosure is to be observed here. On your right the blue ocean is seen, throwing up clouds of spray as the breakers dash against the rocks. Right in front, across a belt of timber the town of Wonthaggi nestles on the side of a hill, whilst a circle of heavily-timbered hills in the background completes as perfect a landscape as artist ever painted. To watch a course from this hill is the finest sight imaginable. As you lean on the enclosure fence, the dogs and their quarry are running on the rich green carpet twenty feet below-a sight once seen never to be forgotten. The arrival of the first batch of hares was witnessed by half-a- hundred enthusiasts from Wonthaggi, many of whom were loth to leave so beautiful a sight. The home paddock has no superior in Australia. It embraces ten acres, seven of which are sown down with rape,lucerne, barley, millet, etc. The balance consists of undergrowth, etc., practically in its native state, affording splendid cover for the hares. So quickly did the crop grow that it became necessary to turn in some sheep to help eat it down, or else the hares could not be seen.

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One of these days the suns gonna shine everything’s going to work out fine.

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