Charlie was the descendant of horses bought to Bathurst Island by missionaries in the 1930’s and for the last ten years he has been the only horse on the Island.
Local Eustace Tipiloura told the ABC that residents had tried to take Charlie to another island several times so that he could be with other horses but each time he swam back to Bathurst Island.
"They tried to put him on the other side of the island where the other horses was, but they put him in a barge and took him across and then about 10 minutes later he swam back. He was very good because the tribe put him on the other side twice and he swam across twice as well."
Eustace continued by saying that Charlie was a very clever horse who could turn on a tap to get himself a drink. "He can open it with his teeth and drink that water. He's very missed, he was a very good horse, everybody loved him"
Charlie was 28 years old when he died. Eustace says he will be greatly missed by island residents.
"When we see Charlie, he was really a good horse. He didn't do no harm, no nothing. He was a really good horse."