28 Facts About Arthur Postle

Arthur Benjamin Postle was an Australian professional athlete, one of the country's most renowned sprinters in the early twentieth century.

Arthur Postle's career took him throughout the United Kingdom and to New Zealand as well as across Australia, where he had a rivalry with fellow Australian champion Jack Donaldson.

Arthur Postle set world records for fifty, sixty, seventy-five, eighty and two-hundred yard sprints during his career, which ended in 1913 a year after his marriage to an Englishwoman.

Arthur Postle ventured into business, and then became a farmer until full-retirement during the Second World War.

Arthur Postle had four children who all survived him upon his death in Brisbane.

Arthur Postle was born in Springside near Pittsworth, in the Darling Downs of the Australian state of Queensland.

Arthur Postle's father was born in Melbourne, while his mother was English.

Arthur Postle was schooled at Springside State School, starting there in 1888.

Arthur Postle showed much promise as a runner from early on in his career, and after leaving education in 1893 to work on his father's farm he continued to compete in local athletics tournaments.

Arthur Postle nevertheless decided to walk the distance to the track, which took him all day.

Arthur Postle's father disapproved of Postle's running aspirations; the family farm struggled constantly against drought.

Arthur Postle was coached instead by his uncle who owned a farm next door on which he had cut a running track.

Arthur Postle's training focused largely on his technique at the start of his run.

Arthur Postle used an unusual starting technique, with his left side prominent and his fingers spread wide.

Old Kalgoorlieites who throw their minds back to April, 1907, when the big pedestrian meetings were held at Kalgoorlie, will remember the deeds of the Australian wonder; anyone who saw the great match on the Boulder racecourse between Arthur Postle and the champion Irish runner, Beauchamp Day, would agree that Arthur Postle was a marvel among the spike-footed brigade.

Fifty yards from home Arthur Postle caught his opponent and came on to snatch the verdict.

In 1906, in front of a 20,000-strong crowd at Kalgoorlie gold mine, Arthur Postle defeated Beauchamp Day, a champion Irish runner sponsored by promoter Rufus Naylor, in a seventy-five-yard spring.

Arthur Postle's 7.20-second time was a new world record, and his achievements attracted athlete Jack Todd who became Arthur Postle's coach.

Arthur Postle returned to the event a year later in 1907 and, being beaten in the semi-final unexpectedly by J Condon, immediately proceeded to jump the perimeter fence and run to a local bookmakers to place money on Condon winning the final, an event which passed into folklore and is remembered often in Australian sprinting.

In 1908, at Durban Arthur Postle ran fifty yards in 5.20 seconds, another record, and later the same year he set yet another world record, running sixty yards in 6.1 seconds.

Arthur Postle opted to use a number of emblems to represent his nationality, in an era before standardised colours and emblems were used by Australian sportsmen.

In October 1912, Arthur Postle married an Englishwoman, Edna Leadbeater, in Lancashire, England.

Arthur Postle failed as a trader in the markets of South Brisbane and became a farmer in Coopers Plains.

Arthur Postle's mother died in 1937, and his father twelve months later.

Arthur Postle was still a regular at local running tracks, sharing his expertise with young runners.

Arthur Postle coached Norma Croker, later an Olympic gold medal winner.

Arthur Postle fell ill on 21 April 1965 and died in an ambulance.

Arthur Postle was inducted into the Sports Australia Hall of Fame in 1985.