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Acting’s loss was racings gain.
Marjorie Charleson, who came to Australia from a sheep farm on New Zealand’s South Isle to pursue an acting career, was on the front line of WA racing’s golden era.
For 16 years through the 1970s and 1980s, Marjorie worked tirelessly in attracting and enticing the cream of Australian racing to cross the Nullarbor for Perth’s summer carnival.
Marjorie singlehandedly lured the who’s who of Australian trainers including Bart Cummings, Colin Hayes, Tommy Smith, George Hanlon and Geoff Murphy to bring their star horses to race in the west.
Iconic turf names Dayana, Vo Rogue, Reckless, Dulcify, Denise’s Joy and Kingston Town, recognised as perhaps Majorie’s best recruit, jammed into Ascot racecourse to the thrill and excitement of local fans.
That Marjorie actually domiciled in Western Australia was fortuitous as she was on her way overseas from Melbourne to catch up with family, where she carved out a successful marketing and advertising career.
Marjorie didn’t envisage Perth being a permanent stopover at the time as her ultimate goal was to wind up at her cousin’s wildlife park at Nairobi in Kenya.
She was “stopping over” in WA to further her career as a documentary film-maker, where she made a documentary for Utah Mining called Picks to Pellets during the Iron Ore boom of the 1960s.
Known for her frankness and honesty, Marjorie came to the attention of WATC secretary Harry Bolton after making forthright statements about the state of racing at Belmont Park.
Marjorie formed a close professional bond with Harry and became the first publicity officer to be appointed by any racing club in Australia.
In 1982 Charleson recruited Kingston Town to the summer carnival and for those that were trackside will never forget the spectacle, with the champion galloper surging home to win the Group 1 Western Mail Classic and receiving a standing ovation from appreciative racing fans in what was ultimately his final race.
Little did those supporters know of or appreciate the drama that was being played out to fly Kingston Town to Perth. A noted shocking traveller, he required a double spaced pallet on the plane but with Ansett Airlines only having singles, his arrival was in jeopardy.
But never shying away from a challenge, Marjorie exploited her contacts at Air New Zealand and was able to secure a double pallet for Ansett; after initial trepidation Kingston Town’s place in WA racing history was safely locked away.
Charleson, renowned as a tough negotiator, was influential in persuading New Zealand trainer Ian Steffert to bring Magistrate as an injury-plagued nine and ten-year-old to win consecutive Perth Cups in 1981 and 1982 respectively.
During the 1974-75 summer carnival, Marjorie attracted a record 28 interstate horses to Perth, a remarkable feat that is unlikely to be achieved again.
During Majorie’s’ tenure as Perth Racing’s public relations officer, she brought national and international celebrities to Ascot including actors, singers, comedians, and sports stars, strongly advocated for the running of Powder Puff Derbies for female riders and enticed the world's best jockeys to converge on Ascot to ride in the Exhibition Stakes.
Even after her departure from Perth Racing, Marjorie never lost her passion for the racing industry, regularly commentating at stallion parades at Ascot or Belmont and published thoroughbred magazines Westbreed and Race Breed Australia.
Marjorie is recognised by Perth Racing with the running of the Marjorie Charleson Classic at Ascot, a deserving honour for a tireless and energetic advocate of WA racing.