Les Norton is the main protagonist in a series of fiction books written by Australian author Robert G. Barrett

Robert G. Barrett

Robert G. Barrett is a popular Australian author of numerous books, most of them featuring the fictional Australian character Les Norton. He has also written others which are single book story. 'So What Do You Reckon?' is a collection of Robert's columns from when he was a columnist for the...

.

A likeable and laconic Aussie battler

Aussie battler

The term Aussie Battler is an Australian colloquialism referring to "ordinary" or working class individuals who persevere through their commitments despite adversity. Typically, this adversity comprises the challenges of low pay, family commitments, environmental hardships and lack of personal...

, Norton first appears in You Wouldn't Be Dead For Quids (1984) and is described as stockily built with the signature feature of red hair. He doesn't mind a fight, a punt

Wager

Wager can refer to:* Gambling* A scientific wager* A legal wager under the Roman legal system* WAGR syndrome - a rare genetic syndrome-Given name:*Wager Swayne , American military Governor-Surname:...

 or a root

Sexual intercourse

Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...

. He was born in Dirranbandi

Dirranbandi, Queensland

Dirranbandi is a town in south-western Queensland, Australia, located in the Shire of Balonne. It sits on the Castlereagh Highway and the Balonne River. It is notable for the population increase each year as seasonal workers come to work on the extensive cotton fields. Due to the low annual...

, and lived there until he was involved in a pub fight, when the local police officer told him to leave before investigators from Brisbane could arrive when he was identified as a person of interest in a subsequent murder investigation. He moved to Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

, and ended up living in Bondi

Bondi, New South Wales

Bondi is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bondi is located seven kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council. The postcode is 2026.-Location:...

, working as a bouncer in an illegal casino in Kings Cross

Kings Cross, New South Wales

Kings Cross is an inner-city locality of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately 2 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Sydney...

. In later books it turns from an illegal casino to a bridge club, as the club's owner Price Galese has further trouble bribing Police and Government officials to ignore the casino's presence. Les played rugby league

Rugby league

Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

 for Easts

Sydney Roosters

The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...

 during his early days in Sydney.

His brother in his home state of Queensland owns a dog called "Grungle" who loves to fight as much as Les and his brother.

Les' career with Galese's illegal casino in Kings Cross

Kings Cross, New South Wales

Kings Cross is an inner-city locality of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately 2 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Sydney...

 provides many opportunities for training, fighting, porking

Sexual intercourse

Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...

, dancing, photography, reflection and the odd mystery solving. Les could be said to be extremely lucky with circumstance. He has buried more money and other items of value than most Lebanese jewellers.

In the later stories he has a house in Bondi

Bondi, New South Wales

Bondi is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bondi is located seven kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council. The postcode is 2026.-Location:...

 which he shares with an advertising executive called Warren who loves to smoke pot and whose job takes him away from time to time.

Les likes to drink a cocktail called a "delicious", a mix of Jack Daniels

Jack Daniel's

Jack Daniel's is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors. It is known for its square bottles and black label. As of November, 2007, one blogger was claiming that it was the best-selling whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by...

 and Coke

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...

.

He loves to exercise in the morning to wring the piss

Alcohol

In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....

 out of his body after a big night on the turps

Binge drinking

Binge drinking or heavy episodic drinking is the modern epithet for drinking alcoholic beverages with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. It is a kind of purposeful drinking style that is popular in several countries worldwide,...

. There are also many mentions of the Hakoah (a Jewish club) where he gets a great feed.

Les refers to his penis as Mr. Wobbly (which is referred to in every story).

Les drives around in an old 1968 Ford Falcon utility in the early stories. In later stories he drives a late model Holden Commodore Berlina. The car belonged to fellow who had a bit of his brain shot out in the car. Les tolerates the smell which persists despite having the car regularly detailed.

List of Les Norton Books (in chronological order)

• You Wouldn't Be Dead for Quids
• The Real Thing
• The Boys From Binjiwunyawunya
• The Godson
• Between the Devlin And The Deep Blue Seas
• White Shoes, White Lines and Blackie
• And De Fun Don't Done
• Mele Kalikimaka Mr Walker
• The Day of The Gecko
• Rider on the Storm and Other Bits and Barrett
• Guns 'N' Rose
• Mud Crab Boogie
• Goodoo Goodoo
• The Wind and the Monkey
• Leaving Bondi
• Mystery Bay Blues
• Rosa-Marie's Baby
• Crime Scene Cessnock
• Les Norton and the Case of the Talking Pie Crust
• High Noon in Nimbin

Other uses

In 2000, the Avoca Beach Surf Life Saving Club

Surf Life Saving Club

Surf Life Saving Clubs are volunteer institutions at Australia's beaches. The clubs conduct surf lifesaving services on weekends and public holidays and host many beach sport activities, such as Nippers, surf carnivals and other competitions...

 launched one of its surfboat

Surfboat

A surfboat is an oar-driven boat designed to enter the ocean from the beach in heavy surf or severe waves. It is often used in lifesaving or rescue missions where the most expedient access to victims is directly from the beach.-Construction:...

s as the Les Norton.

AAP reported in 2004 that a movie adaptation of Barrett's first book You Wouldn't Be Dead For Quids was to be made. Rugby league player Matthew Johns

Matthew Johns

Matthew Johns is an Australian rugby league football commentator and former professional player...

was slated to star in the movie, however an actor for the lead role of Norton's character had not been found.