Little is known of Herr Arnold. He appears intermittently in Sydney between November 1862 and June 1869, with an unknown repertoire of magic sometimes referred to as ‘An Hour in Wonder World’, or ‘An Hour in the Weird Land’. He is billed in early years as The Wizard of the South and, though his magic is not described, the few remarks we have in the press indicate that he was a talented performer who could appear successfully on multiple nights.

The scarcity of his advertised performances seems to suggest that Arnold was a capable amateur magician. Some of his shows are given in conjunction with a variety bill, or with German-based groups which might indicate that he was indeed German. He managed to appear at a number of reputable Sydney theatres including the Lyceum (Queen’s), Temperance Hall and the Prince of Wales Opera House in Castlereagh Street.

On January 31, 1867, Herr Arnold was given a complimentary benefit at the Lyceum Theatre (York Street) which seems curious as he is not mentioned having given a season at that theatre. On this occasion he presented magic in the first part, various German associations and bands played during the second, and in the third part another magician gave his own entertainment. This was Professor Lees, at that time a young gentleman of twenty-five years of age whose name was Henry George Benson (1862-1919). He would go on to be known as H. Benson Lees, one of the grand old men of Sydney magic and a member of the Australian Society of Magicians up to his death. Benson did perform professionally, but was also in business with a pawnbroker’s shop at 275 Castlereagh Street.

Known performance dates:

1862 – October 3, Temperance Hall, Sydney

1862 – November 5, Temperance Hall, Sydney

1862 – November 26, Temperance Hall, Sydney

1864 – September 6, W. Clark’s Assembly Rooms, Elizabeth Street

1866 – February 12, Prince of Wales Opera House possibly for multiple nights

1866 – February 17, Prince of Wales Opera House

1867 – January 31, Lyceum Theatre benefit night

1868 – November 16, Temperance Hall, Sydney

1869 – June 8, Scandinavian Music Hall (Garrick Theatre) Sydney