OLD TIMER
Charlie Nalty, of Coolgardie Westral Wheel Race fame,
cant be forgot by the older generation,
to Goldfields schools sometimes he came
giving half holidays and warm oration.
Charlie carried Glory of the Old Days,
real turn of the century stuff,
he seemed to personify that phase
when life was not unhappy, but tough.
Where did this old grey haired pioneer die,
this icon by Goldfielder’s respected?
Does his outback cycling spirit lie
in a place for its gum trees and cool selected?
When the Goldfields Roll of Honour unwinds
‘his name for sure will be in many minds’………….
The following two tabs change content below.
Moya Sharp
Owner at Outback Family History
My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.
Latest posts by Moya Sharp (see all)
- Doubly Deserted by Val Jameson - 04/01/2025
- John B Ryan – an adventurous life - 04/01/2025
- She Lost Her Husband by a Whisker - 04/01/2025
When I was about 10 years old Charlie Nalty came to the street fence outside Boulder Central School and spoke with the children who flocked to see him. His name was familiar to me but I was not aware of his cycling feats. He was an old man to me but he still was riding his bicycle. This was around 1949.
Ray Smith
I too rember Charlie Nalty he was a wisp of a man thinning grey hair. Not very tall having a soft squeaky spoken voice. He came to the fence outside st Joseph’s primary school in wittenoom st Boulder. I remember getting a cut up carrot, maybe the first boys at the fence received sweets,I’m not sure. This would have been 1950-51.
The previous comment by Ray Smith rings a bell. If I’m not mistaken he lived in York st boulder or up that way. I think he had a younger sister and his father had a sports shop cum hairdresser next door to the Grand Hotel in Burt st. I think Ray also played tennis, was it at victory heights.?
My understanding was that Charley was an Adelaider and would travel over here to the Goldfields from time to time. Actually, a strongly built chap, grey hair, would’ve been well over sixty when we kids saw him at our schools in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Had a warm spot for Coolgardie where he won the Westral Wheel Race in 1902, Coolgardie in its early days had many big sports events, champion British runner Arthur competing there about 1900. I think Charlie died in the late 1950’s, a great and revered name gone from us. I contacted a couple of his relatives in Adelaide a couple years ago, didn’t know much about him, one saying he was an eccentric. Eccentric or not, an unforgettable memory for many of us from the Goldfields.
I also wrote the following poem about that unforgettable Goldfields icon:
What did become of Charley Nalty,
winner of the Coolgardie Westral Wheel Race 1902?
Time has not made my memories of him faulty,
but my how the quickening years do accrue.
Charley, grey haired, old to young eyes,
every few years would speak at our school,
grant a half holiday – nice surprise! –
while the odd teacher muttered “Old fool!”
I recall him at Boulder Oval one year
riding his bike around, scattering sweets,
bands of children running to get near
and adults smiling standing or in their seats.
Where’d he live, how’d he get to Kal?
I reckon he’s in heaven riding for the bell.
******
Thank Tony
Moya, the Arthur I referred to earlier was Arthur Postle, I think but am not sure that he was a world champion professional sprinter. Yes, Postle, Nalty, a host of other sporting greats who helped make Coolgardie even more world famous for a time after Bayley and Ford’s magical discovery.