On the 17th January 1890, young Hugo Leschen of Adelaide, South Australia was travelling to Stockport on the North train. Just as the steam engine pulled into the station a commotion broke out in a nearby compartment. Leschen could smell oil and on putting his head out the window noticed smoke issuing from the window ahead. The colony’s Chief Secretary James Ramsay had been set ablaze when a kerosene lamp exploded (“The Inquest”, 1890). Leschen ran along the external footboard of the still moving train, dragged Ramsay out and doused the flames. Unfortunately, Ramsay died in hospital.
Just six months later Leschen was in the headlines again, as arguably the best player for the first South Australian team to defeat Victoria in intercolonial football (Robins, et al, 2020). Normally a defender, Leschen played forward that day and took a critical mark for a goal at a decisive stage as the visitors finished strongly in the historic 6.8 to 4.6 victory at the South Melbourne Cricket Ground. That year he also represented South Australia in shooting.
Hugo was the fourth son of Heinrich ‘Adolph’ Leschen, the ‘Father of Gymnastics’ in South Australia. Leschen Senior was a trained school teacher and gymnast. He migrated to the South Australian colony in 1857 and set up his own Deutsche Turnverein (gymnastics club). Through contacts gained he taught gymnastics in South Australian schools (Daly, 2005). His popular displays of mass gymnastics did much to encourage local belief in the combination of character-building English sports with systematic European gymnastics as the ideal physical education.
Following his graduation from Prince Alfred College, Hugo Leschen assisted his father at his gymnasium and various gymnastic classes at the college. In 1891, aged 22 years, he travelled to Europe to study gymnastics, both practical and theoretical, and Heil Gymnastiks (medical gymnastics). He also visited the principal gymnasiums of cities in Germany, Austria, Belgium, England and Scotland. Excerpts from a letter to Leschen’s (1891) parents give us some insight into his time away:
I have to report a very successful close to my studies at the Dresden Institution for Teachers of Gymnastics. Last week the Annual Gymnastic Competition of the young teachers took place, and I can assure you that I did my very best to secure the first place. I had to wear the oak wreath during the whole afternoon as long as the festival lasted. This is regarded as the greatest honour that one can gain here.
With regard to my studies in Heil Gymnastik I have been so fortunate as to be admitted into the great Heil Gymnastik Anstalt, Manual Treatment (the finest in Dresden), which is presided over by Herr Hofrath Oldewig. Here I receive every-day lessons in the manual treatment of patients, but without apparatus – lessons in kneading, massage, nerve treatment, pressure of blood vessels, tension of muscles, etc.
..I find myself a student in Dr von Reyher’s Heil Gymanstik Anstalt with apparatus. (As Herr Hofrath Oldewig’s institution is the leading one in Dresden for manual treatment, so Dr von Reyher’s is first for treatment with apparatus.) His institution has a large quantity of apparatus driven chiefly by hydraulic power. This apparatus cost more than £5,000. Dr von Reyher has two other doctors with him and twelve assistants.”
On his return to Adelaide, Leschen’s life continued to be filled with energy and action. He was immediately appointed gymnastic instructor at all the leading boys and girls schools, and led a calisthenic and gymnastic display on the Jubilee Oval with over 2,000 pupils (Newman, 1913). Attendance was strong and the considerable proceeds from the day were handed over to Adelaide charities.
Leschen also worked in his father’s gymnasium, in which were found electric light baths, swimming baths, electric light treatment apparatus, orthopaedic apparatus, and all the usual appliances met within a complete modern gymnasium (Newman, 1913).
Leschen took on the role of Honorary masseur at the Adelaide Hospital, and taught massage and Swedish Movements. In 1906 he was the founding secretary and treasurer of the South Australian branch of the Australasian Massage Association (later the Australian Physiotherapy Association), for which he was made an honorary member (Newman, 1913).
Leschen took up military matters with zeal, serving as a lancer for three years. In 1899 he founded the first military Cadet Corps, and when compulsory training became law he was appointed commanding officer of the 79th area, which included all the colleges and the Adelaide University. He rose to the rank of major, the highest office in the Cadet Corps. He also organised a ladies’ rifle club, which continued for several years.
A strong advocate for physical training in public schools, Leschen was appointed Instructor to the Metropolitan and District High Schools. As an organiser of children’s pageants he was unrivalled, and many charities benefited by his activities in this respect. He distinguished himself as an adjudicator for many years at competitions in calisthenics, physical culture, action songs, and national folk dances. He was an Esperanto enthusiast, and he organised a congress which was held at the Adelaide University (“Report”, 1912).
Leschen passed away in Melbourne in 1926. He was described in his obituary in The Advertiser newspaper as “one of the best-known men in Adelaide” (“Mr Hugo Leschen”, 1926)
References
Bentley P & Dunstan D. (2006). The path to professionalism: Physiotherapy in Australia to the 1980s. Melbourne: Australian Physiotherapy Association.
Daly JA. (2005). Heinrich Adolph Leschen (1836-1916). Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/leschen-heinrich-adolph-13043/text23585, published first in hardcopy 2005, accessed online 7 March 2026.
“The Inquest”. (1890, January 20). The Express and Telegraph, Adelaide, 3.
Leschen H. (1891). Hugo Leschen. Prince Alfred College Chronicle, 4(30), 55-56.
“Mr Hugo Leschen: Death in Melbourne.” (1926, October 25). The Advertiser, Adelaide, 13.
Newman GC. (1913, August 23). Physical culture: A leader in Adelaide: Mr Hugo Leschen. The Mail, Adelaide, 5.
“Report of the First Australian Esperanto Congress”. (1912). A Chappell’s Reliance Print: Adelaide. https://esperanto.org.au/aea/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/1st-Aust-Esperanto-Congress-report-text.pdf, accessed online on 8 March 2026.
Robins P, Gyss T, Cox D & Adam G. (2020). Hugo William Robert Leschen. Redlegs Museum: History of the Norwood Football Club. https://www.redlegsmuseum.com.au/ON_FIELD/PLAYERS/LESCHENhugo.aspx, accessed online on 7 March 2026.
