Career
Born in South Australia, he began his career at The Adelaide Advertiser in 1874 as a general reporter. He began reporting on new mines in South Australia, then travelled to others in New South Wales and Western Australia. When the Kalgoorlie mines began to predominate he moved from Coolgardie and bought the weekly newspaper Kalgoorlie Western Argus, later launching the daily Kalgoorlie Miner.
Hocking had a reputation as a good boss in Kalgoorlie, which no doubt contributed to his election to the Kalgoorlie Municipal Council and later to mayor.
He was involved in the Kalgoorlie Racing Club and Chamber of Commerce, and president of the Fresh Air League which sent goldfields children to the coast for holidays. The company he formed in 1896, Hocking & Company
Proprietary Limited., still publishes The Miner, as it is locally known, to this day.
Along with The West Australian, it is the only other daily print newspaper in Western Australia. The newspaper"s 100-year history was commemorated in 1995 by the publication of The Voice of the Goldfields: 100 Years of the Kalgoorlie Miner by Norma King.
