Long before Crocodile Dundee or Steve Irwin were heard of, there was Charlie. In 1935, Charlie, a 1.5-metre saltwater crocodile, was put on display at a small tea-house at Hartley's Creek, north Queensland.
For the next 65 years, Charlie did his schtick for the thousands of tourists who came to see him. He snapped at pieces of meat dangled in front of him, performed the occasional death roll, but mainly he just basked in the sun and the attention. For his efforts, Charlie was awarded the title of Queenslander of the Year in 1991. (Only in Queensland, hopefully.)
Today, sadly, Charlie and the tea-house are gone, but Charlie is unlikely to be forgotten as long as the Hartley's Creek Crocodile Adventures stands.
