The career of Mr. Hall is somewhat representative of many of the magicians featured in my research. He springs into the limelight on the public stage as a fully-formed entertainer with the appearance of being a full-time professional. His work was well regarded. It is difficult to dig into his personal life. He moves around different localities but often there is no continuity to his tour. His billing as the “Wizard of the South” lends itself to confusion with other “Wizards” of the time such as Berkeley Lennox and H. Benson Lees.  And after a certain number of years he fades from public view almost without trace.

Mr. Hall wrote a number of letters to the Colonial Secretary, requesting a licence to perform. He identified himself in 1856 as William Hall. With so commonplace a name, tracking Hall to his origins is particularly difficult; and since there are other obstacles placed in our way, we can only say that there is a strong degree of certainty that William Hall is the same gentleman who appears throughout this essay. A great deal of effort went into investigating whether a John Widdrington Hall, who applied for theatrical licenses in 1842-44, might have been the same person, but the evidence is severely lacking (see reference 5)

Mr. Hall’s story seems to begin in April 1852, when the New Orleans Serenaders, a short-lived minstrel troupe, performed at the Royal Hotel, George Street Sydney. A Mr ‘J. P. Hall’ acted as the interlocutor, traditionally known as Bones. Shortly afterwards, at the same hotel, J. P. Hall was billed as Bones with the ‘Howard’s Serenaders’ alongside Mr Charles V. Howard and a few others.

Howard’s Serenaders were led by brothers Charles V. Howard (real name Charles Voelker Mason) and George Birbeck (Mason) Howard (1). Originally engaged in England (1849) by Henry Burton to work with the Blythe Waterland Serenaders, they came to Australia in March 1850, making them arguably the first Australian minstrelsy troupe.  The Howards soon broke away and toured in competition to Burton, through New South Wales and Victoria. With a small cast, and performing mainly in the saloons of hotels, they were early examples of the evolving Minstrel show in Australia, and their repertoire was principally polite versions of Afro-American songs and humour. The Howard troupe eventually struggled to find a regular audience, working with the circus at Astley’s Amphitheatre, eventually disbanding, though they reformed in 1856 with limited success. (2)

J. P. Hall is believed to be the stage title of William Hall, whose evolution into the magician “Professor Hall, Wizard of the South”, can be seen in the coming months. J. P. Hall was still with Howard’s Serenaders until September 1852, but in January 1853, his name disappears from the list of performers, at the same time as newspapers reported the addition of legerdemain to the repertoire of the Howard’s Serenaders troupe.

On January 10, 1853, Howard’s Serenaders were appearing at the Royal Hotel, Sydney, and they announced a Signor Blitz in his first appearance. It was stated that he was a “Pupil of Anderson” [John Henry Anderson, Wizard of the North.] This was the Howard troupe’s first introduction of a magician, but there is no evidence to give us a definite connection to Mr. Hall. Whoever the performer was, his repertoire including cooking a pudding in a hat, and catching a bullet, and he was praised in the press, once mentioning that he was “a very young man”. There is certainly no connection to the original Signor Antonio Blitz (1810-1877) whose name was widely appropriated.

The Serenaders remained in Sydney until mid-March before moving to Maitland, Singleton and Morpeth around April 16. Then,  Signor Blitz is seen no longer under the banner of Howard’s Serenaders, but he makes appearances (billed as both 'Blitz' and the 'Wizard of the South') at the grandly named Royal Marionette Theatre between May 3 and 13 (when he performed with this troupe at the Odd Fellows Arms, Parramatta). The Marionette theatre was nothing more than the same saloon of the Royal Hotel, refitted and re-launched; however the advertised presence of a Mr. Brenni in the company links these performers back to the same people as Howard's Serenaders.

A Mr. Hall is listed as a singer with the Pelham Serenaders in November 1854, once again at the Royal Hotel.

None of these dates clash with what is known about Mr. Hall, and it is speculated that he is highly likely to have been 'Blitz', before re-engaging with the Serenaders in 1855. The most telling evidence is that both Blitz and Hall used the phrase “Pupil of Anderson” in their advertising.

Howard’s Serenaders were floundering, and it was an attempt to widen the appeal of the Serenaders that led to the (re)introduction of Mr. Hall as the troupe’s magician. Prior to April 11, 1855, Hall had appeared by himself at the Theatre Royal, Port Adelaide, South Australia. He was billed as Professor Hall the Great Wizard of the South, and promoted as a pupil of Mr. Anderson and listed the Magic Bottle within his repertoire.

In July 1855 Mr. Hall re-aligned himself with Howard’s Serenaders, performing in Newcastle, West Maitland, Paterson, Dungog, Raymond Terrace, Singleton, Scone and Murrurundi. On August 1 he was at the Fitz Roy Hotel, Maitland and later that month the troupe was in Dapto on the South Coast of NSW. Hall wrote, on August 28, to the Colonial Secretary in Sydney (6), requesting a six-month license to present ‘Parlour performances of Natural Magic, and Ethiopian Concerts in the Country.’ The license being granted ‘on the usual conditions’, Hall seems to have had much less difficulty in having his permissions renewed on a regular basis, unlike earlier performers who had to obtain the approval of local magistrates as well as the Colonial Secretary.

Hall was advertised to appear at Howell’s Hotel in Wollongong on September 3 and October 23, with no mention of the minstrels, but with “new tricks, new music … and Uncle Tom’s statues”.

Returning some months later for three successful nights in Maitland in December 1855, the magician appeared to be the main feature of the entertainment, the Howards being reduced to a mere mention of “his serenaders”.

By October, the Maitland press was reporting, “This performer has given three entertainments at the Sir William Denison Inn, West Maitland … the attendance has been on each occasion numerous, and all have expressed their gratification at his feats in magic and sleight of hand tricks … perhaps the Wizard’s best tricks are the magic cannon ball and the wonderful bottle. The change of a goblet of ink into pure water is a beautiful chemical experiment.” It would seem that Hall was, if not presenting new and innovative tricks, at least entertaining.

The small Howard troupe was no longer performing, and Mr. Hall continued as a solo artist.

The People’s Advocate and NSW Vindicator, November 17, 1855:-
“MAGIC, JUGGLERY, AND THE WONDERFUL BOTTLE.— [Shoalhaven] - Professor Hall has favoured us with a visit; astonishing, delighting all, and alarming some with the wondrous variety of his magic feats. He performed to crowded and enraptured audiences, many having attended each of his four entertainments: it was well for himself and the public that Mr. Hyam, with that far-seeing spirit of enterprise which so signalizes his efforts in catering for the public convenience' and accommodation, had prepared his new and extensive saloon, 40 feet long — or great would have been the disappointment. To particularize the many wonderful and neatly performed sleight of hand tricks, would require me to rival the famous inexhaustible bottle, for I should never have done enlarging on their merits. Cards obedient , to his will, the talking half-crown, mashing a gold watch in an iron pestle and mortar, and firing it from a pistol into a loaf, whole and alive as before — changing ink into water by a wave of his magic wand, instructions to bushman to make a damper in his hat without fire, a new way to raise a feather bed from the same empty hat - and sundry other novel and pleasing illusions can only he duly appreciated by being seen— nor must I omit the truly wonderful feat of catching a bullet fired from a pistol— he ought to go to the Crimea, and catch some of the Russian minie balls in the same way. The inexhaustible bottle, with all its varied spirits and wines moving in every direction at every call, put the climax upon his wonders— not a few left under the impression that he was right royally connected with a certain Majesty exercising dominion over very extensive regions of hot renown. The songs, music, lingo, and manners of the sable Serenaders were most ably and tastefully represented by Mr. Hall and his assistant Mr. -------, and the tableaux vivant by Mr. Hall of Uncle Tom in his heartrending vicissitudes, so beautifully and touchingly described in Uncle Tom's Cabin, prove Mr. Hall possessed of high merit and the most chaste perception. Not the least to be admired are Professor Hall's manner, manners, address, tone, and style: mild and polite, without the most distant approach to any expression or attitude coarse or offensive ; the most fastidious parent may entrust the youngest child or most sensitive daughter to witness his entertainments, such as they were here, without the least hesitation; Mr. -----is also equally entitled to similar well-merited praise.”

Relatively little is heard of Hall during 1856, though it is highly likely that he may have toured some of the gold-rush areas where his entertainment would be well received. Certainly on March 15, 1856, he was at Bathurst under the title ‘Professor Hall’ and this time as ‘The Wizard of the East’, with featured magic including the Watch in the Loaf, Flying Ring, and Inexhaustible Bottle. There is no mention of the Serenaders, and he was supported by “The Sable Brethren, Messrs. (T.W. or D.) Brenni (a former member of Howard’s Serenaders, and a regular supporting actor in various Sydney theatres), F. Harrington, and Felix Germone (or Garmone),” who also were advertised to appear with him in an April performance at Moreton Bay, Queensland.  In late May the group was at Mr. Buckler’s Inn, Armidale NSW.

On November 24 the Illawarra Mercury referred again to “Mr. J. P. Hall, a professor of the Cabalistic Art, and the Messrs. Howard’s and Reading’s serenaders.” In general he was simply mentioned as Mr. Hall or Professor Hall; the Maitland Mercury of March 17, 1859, does refer to “Mr. Wm. Hall, the Wizard of the South”, and the name William is used in his later career.

Hall was back in the Wollongong area by May 1857, playing to crowded houses. He struck up an acquaintance with a Professor George Parker, resulting in a joint tour; Parker being the more prominently billed, but both receiving good press.

Mr Hall’s repertoire included the Magic Punch Bowl and Inexhaustible Bottle, and the evening concluded with ‘Yankee Smith’ and his banjo delineations of Plantation Life. Later that month, in Ipswich, Mr. Hall is noted singing “several amusing songs, which were received with considerable applause … the performances were of a very satisfactory nature.”. The North Australian paper mentioned a continued tour route through Drayton, Warwick, Glen Innes, Tenterfield and Armidale (Horse and Jockey Hotel), all in the upper North of New South Wales.

Armidale papers, suffering a dearth of amusement,  welcomed the “advent of the sheep demolishing professor of the noble art of self-defence and the clever Wizard with a hearty welcome and crowded houses.”

“PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT. - On Thursday evening Messrs. Hall and Parker gave the first of their entertainments at the old ‘Horse and Jockey Inn,’ Armidale. The room was crowed, the audience being the largest we have yet seen in this township. Reserved seats bad been taken by many, but the rush was so extensive as to defy the protective efforts of Mr. Hall, who, before commencing his feats of magic, offered to return the money of all who might choose to leave. This silenced grumbling, and Mr. Hall began with his tricks of delusion, which were all very cleverly performed in particular, his feat of the inexhaustible bottle brought out roars of laughter and secured universal approval.

Professor Parker, who seemed to be in despair at the prospect of having less than half the proper extent for a fair sweep of his trenchant weapon, was subsequently a little mollified by the ladies crowding back into small compass, and the gents lifting youngsters on their knees - some preparing, of course, for paternal duties. The Professor, in his usual first-class style, cut the sheep in two with one blow, after having measured with his eye, for a second or two, whether their might not be a possibility of decimating one or two of the fair part of his audience. Several Chinamen appeared to enjoy the sight with great interest; and whilst applause resounded from all parts of the room, doubtless these Celestials were pondering over what an invaluable acquisition the worthy Professor would be to Yeh, the Viceroy of Canton, could he only be pressed into service. The bar of lead was then severed at one cut, and a leg of mutton demolished ; but the Saladin feat was postponed till Saturday evening, from want of sufficient room. Negro melodies and facetiae, by Mr. Hall, finished the evening's performances, and, taking hearty laughter and cheers as the fairest test of success, it was decisive. This evening, at the same place, a nearly similar programme, with additions, will be followed out, and better arrangements for economising space are intended. We may also call attention to the admission of children at half-price, as giving an excellent opportunity for family visits ‘en masse.’ Next week the two Professors will make their bow to our friends at the Rocky - no doubt with eclat.”

By March 1858, Hall was back in Wollongong, NSW, at Johnson’s Hotel ; but he returned North with “Yankee” Smith, with a visit to Grafton in mid-July and apparently back to Queensland where, on November 9, the ‘North Australian’ noted that “the entertainment has been very popular in the districts Mr. Hall has been visiting.”

Travelling south once again, Hall moved through Kempsey and Port Macquarie where the “charge for admission is certainly too high” according to remarks in Port Macquarie on March 7. However he departed with a very high reputation after voluntarily giving a concert at the Court House for the benefit of the shipwrecked crew of the ‘Defender’, raising funds with his magic and banjo playing.

He kept on the move, appearing in Toowoomba, Queensland, in December 1858, with the intention of then moving to Warwick, Tenterfield and the Fairfield gold diggings. Throughout 1859 he was seen in numerous larger towns of New South Wales, from Port Macquarie to Maitland and Goulburn.

Mr. Hall and Professor Parker continued their association in 1860, Hall attending a demonstration of swordsmanship given at the Sydney School of Arts in January, and they teamed up in April for performances in Queanbeyan and Cooma, southern New South Wales. Professor Parker included the feat of cutting an apple on his hand without injury. Mr. Hall was “more than usually successful in his tricks of magic, and his negro singing, and tales of plantation life, kept the audience in roars of laughter from beginning to end.” (Goulburn Herald, May 5, 1860). Ensuing performances were promoted for the gold-fields regions of Kiandra and Bombala. Although Parker was billed as the lead performer, assisted by the Wizard, the Yass Courier commented (May 26) that “the professor’s acts were confined to three, one of which he failed in … Mr. Hall afforded more pleasure.”

Hall continued to toured throughout New South Wales, seeming to favour the Illawarra and Hunter regions. In May 1861 he was due back at Armidale, but had been prevented by flooding in Kempsey and Port Macquarie during April.  

He was still regularly appearing with Professor Parker, although on occasion each performer presented their own show separately. They were at Rockhampton, midway up the Queensland coast, on March 17, 1862, then to Maryborough, Gayndah, Ipswich, Dalby, Condamine and Brisbane. The ‘Courier’ declared Hall to be “a thorough genius … he is a good serenader, a first-rate wizard, and a tolerable ventriloquist.” The Maryborough Chronicle remarked in terms which today strike a wry note, “Mr. Hall’s nigger songs were given with much taste and effect, and his legerdemain tricks could scarcely be excelled.”

Hall was keeping busy during the years 1864-67. His act, which was sometimes three hours long, was given in townships up and down the length of New South Wales. Amongst others, he visited Yass, Goulburn, Kiama, Burrangong, Armidale, Tenterfield, Gundagai, Bendigo and Eaglehawk. He also made his first ventures southward into Victoria, at Kyneton, Beechworth and Warrnambool, during which he began to advertise under the name William Hall. In every instance he was well reviewed, and praised as much for his banjo playing, singing and ventriloquism as for his magic.

"THE LYCEUM THEATRE.— The performances at the theatre on Saturday night were of an entertaining description, and well worth seeing. Mr. Hall, a performer of feats of legerdemain, kept on the happiest terms with his audience, and with a very limited apparatus, and chiefly by sleight of hand, cleverly performed many pleasing tricks, completely deceiving the most watchful eye. He was highly amusing in an exhibition of ventriloquism, and elicited great applause. In the light of a drawing-room entertainment his performances have not been surpassed by previous professors of the magic art on Sandhurst. Mr Hallas and Mr. Byrne played a duet on cornets, which was characterised by taste and execution. A duet on flutinas, by Messrs Spiller, secured an encore, which was also heartily received. One of the most amusing performances of the evening was "The Blue-tailed Fly," by Mr W. Hall, who accompanied himself on the banjo. During the evening Miss Forde and Mr A. F. Spiller performed on the roller skates. Their graceful evolutions were much admired. At the conclusion of the performances in the theatre the audience have the privilege of the entre to the skating rink, where, the floor being better adapted for the purpose than the stage, Miss Forde's skating is seen to better advantage, and where her graceful movements, and perfect command of the skates, never fail to elicit rounds of applause."

While he may well have been performing regularly, Mr. Hall’s advertising began to be less frequent from 1868 onwards, and he gradually moved northwards through Bega, Wollongong, Armidale and Uralla, finally seeming to settle within Queensland where he promoted himself as “the most talented single-handed performer that has ever visited…”

For some unknown reason, on May 7, 1870, his advertising at Warwick names him as ‘Mr. W. Boilace Hall’. Allowing for the more likely correct spelling of Borlace or Borlase, nevertheless nothing can be discovered about his use of this name.

The impression is that Hall worked in a relatively small area between Warwick and Gympie and as far north as Rockhampton. His last-known performance was advertised for October 8, 1872, at the Theatre Royal in Maryborough – “Mr. W. Hall respectfully informs the inhabitants of this town that he will give a Fashionable Entertainment on the above evening, consisting of Magic, Music, Ventriloquism and Selections from the Christy Minstrels.”

After that date, Mr. William Hall disappears from sight. His common name makes it almost impossible to track his likely death or final days. Hall was clearly a successful and entertaining independent performer, and it is to be hoped that more information might come to light concerning his origins and personal life.

(1) https://mychildrensancestors.weebly.com/abraham-john-mason.html
Charles V Mason:- https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/152319704/charles-valker-mason

(Note the spelling variation from ‘Voelker’ in this record)

(2) From Minstrel Show to Vaudeville / The Australian Popular Stage 1788-1914. Richard Waterhouse, New South Wales University Press 1990.  ISBN 0 86840 100 5

(3) Article about Prof. Parker https://trove.nla.gov.au/list/59098?page=27

(4) Image, believed to be of Parker, from the William Dixson collection, State Library NSW.

(5) John Widdrington Hall – A considerable effort was been made into enquiring whether our Mr. Hall might have been one John Widdrington Hall who, from 1842 to 1844, made several applications to the Colonial Secretary for a license to present ‘a mechanical theatre’ in Sydney. This would have been a theatre set designed with moving parts to imitate (for instance) a ship sailing through a stormy sea.
On one occasion he was refused a license on the basis that he had come to Australia (1841?) as a “Bounty immigrant” and had done no other work to date.
Unfortunately the evidence is lacking to connect him to our Mr. William Hall. JW Hall vanishes from the public record after being briefly mentioned as an artist in 1848. He had a daughter, Adeline, who is noted in her late husband’s (William de Tracey Tracey) obituary as being “an adopted daughter of the late Mr. Du Moulin sen.” which suggests that JW Hall may have died young; but the commonplace name of John Hall makes it nearly impossible to track either himself or a wife, and the name “Widdrington” or “Widrington” cannot be found, and is thought to be possibly a ‘tribute’ name to his town of origin.
Refer State Records NSW - Colonial Secretary Letters Received 42/4851, 42/4819, 43/8724, 44/353, which reveal that some of JW Hall’s correspondence was ‘mislaid’ and unable to be found in 1844.

(6) State Records NSW - Colonial Secretary Letters Received 55/9297

(7) State Records NSW - Colonial Secretary Letters Received
https://mhnsw.au/archive/subjects/colonial-secretary/

Original letters sighted re William Hall: 55/9297, 56/1828, 57/1812, 58/4081, 60/5726, 61/4685, 62/5375, 63/6229, 65/657, 67/1638, 68/4831, 69/8002.