top of page
BOULDER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB · EST. 1896
Don Harvey
THE GENTLEMAN WHO HELPED SHAPE THE TIGERS
PLAYER SNAPSHOT
ERA
Player late 1940s
Administration 1970s
POSITION
Back flank
BCFC
Life Member No. 62 — 1976
Junior Premiership Player: 1947 & 1949
League Premiership President: 1977
Club Leadership: President, Secretary & Treasurer
Proud father of Craig and David Harvey
Oldest living BCFC Life Member (2026)
HONOURS & ACHIEVEMENTS
Explore the honours that shaped Don Harvey's efforts at the BCFC
SELECT AN ICON TO DISCOVER MORE
BOULDER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB
Click Icon to Listen
#62 - 1976
Juniors 1947 - 49
1973 - 1977
Secretary - Treasurer
Boulder City Football Club | Life Member No. 62 | 95 Years Young in 2026
Two junior premierships. A presidency that ended an 18-year premiership drought. A home that became a second clubroom. And a lifetime of loyalty to the black and gold. Some men leave their mark on a football club through the games they play. Others leave something far more enduring — a sense of belonging, friendship and family. Donald “Kicka” Harvey managed to do both. For generations of Boulder Tigers, Kicka was much more than a former player, club president or Life Member. He was one of those rare individuals who helped give the club its character. And at 95 years of age in 2026, Don holds another special distinction: Boulder City's oldest living Life Member.
THE YOUNG TIGER WHO KNEW HOW TO WIN
Born into a family of five brothers, Don “Kicka” Harvey was the youngest of the lot — and with the family home just 50 metres from the gates of Boulder Oval, it was almost inevitable that the black and gold would become part of his life.
Football wasn't just a game in the Harvey household. It was practically on their doorstep. 1947 and 1949 — Two Junior Premierships. Long before Don Harvey became one of the Tigers' most respected administrators, he was a promising young footballer coming through the Boulder junior ranks. And he belonged to a particularly talented generation.
Don was a member of the 1947 and 1949 Boulder City junior premiership teams, sharing the field with names that would become familiar throughout Tiger history. Among his teammates were Brian “Spiro” Forrest, John and Bill Colgan, Jack and Fred Galbraith, Jack and John Harris, and Jack Riseberry. It was an extraordinary collection of young footballers, many of whom would go on to make their own contributions to the club.
Kicka was principally a backman. Dependable, disciplined and reliable, he was the sort of footballer every successful side needed. He knew his job and generally did it well. There was, however, one small problem. On the occasions he was released from defence and sent forward, the goals didn't always arrive!
Perhaps some footballers are simply born to stop goals rather than kick them. For Kicka, the backline was home. And two junior premiership medals were proof enough of his contribution.
THE ROAD AWAY FROM BOULDER
Like so many young Goldfields footballers of his generation, work eventually took Don away from home. He moved to Bunbury in search of employment opportunities, and his sporting interests began to change. Lawn bowls became his chosen pursuit. Football gradually took a back seat, although Don also spent a period playing senior football for the Tigers.
Don Harvey's working life began in 1943 as an office boy at the Great Boulder Mine. Through dedication and hard work, he steadily rose through the ranks, becoming Head of Stores before moving into the role of Assistant Accountant in 1964. He later joined the Bunbury Council, but his connection to the Goldfields remained strong. When the mine invited him back as its Accountant — a position equivalent to today's Chief Financial Officer — Don returned to Boulder, where the family lived on the mine lease. He subsequently continued his career in local government, serving as an accountant with the Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Cottesloe councils. It was a remarkable working journey, from a young office boy to a senior financial administrator, built on the same reliability and commitment that made him such a respected figure at the Tigers.
But leaving the football field was never going to mean leaving the Tigers behind. The connection ran much deeper than that. By the 1970s, Don was back making a substantial contribution to Boulder City — this time in a different uniform. The jacket and tie of the club administrator had replaced the football jumper. And Kicka proved every bit as valuable.
THE PRESIDENT WHO HELPED BRING THE FLAG HOME
1977 — The End of an 18-Year Wait
Don Harvey became one of the club's most dependable administrators. He served as Secretary, Treasurer and President, bringing a steady hand to the responsibilities of running a football club. Those who knew him remember a man with excellent judgement, a calm temperament and a genuine understanding of people. He was approachable, considerate and remarkably difficult to upset. He rarely had a bad word to say about anyone.
Those qualities were especially valuable in football administration, where strong personalities, passionate supporters and difficult decisions were never far away. Kicka was exactly the sort of person the Tigers needed in the president's chair. And then came 1977. For Boulder City, it was a season that would be remembered for decades. The Tigers had not won a League premiership since 1959.
Eighteen years separated those two premiership years — and 1977 finally ended the long wait. With Don Harvey serving as President, Boulder City returned to the top of Goldfields football. For the former junior premiership player of 1947 and 1949, it must have been an extraordinary moment. The young Tiger who had celebrated junior success in the late 1940s was now helping lead the club through one of its most significant senior triumphs. His contribution had come full circle. From junior premiership player to premiership president. Not many Tigers can claim that distinction. And few would have appreciated its significance more than Kicka.
Don-Harvey
00:00 / 21:19
WHEN THE PUB SHUT, KICKA'S HOUSE OPENED
The Great Boulder Lease
Every great football club has its gathering places. Some are grandstands. Some are clubrooms. Some are pubs. And occasionally, one particular family home becomes every bit as important as the football ground itself. For the Boulder Tigers, that home belonged to the Harveys. On Sunday nights, when the Recreation Hotel closed its doors, the celebrations didn't necessarily finish. Quite often, they simply moved. Up to the Harvey residence on the Great Boulder Lease. Kicka's house.
It became a legendary destination for generations of Tigers. Players, friends and supporters knew there would be a welcome waiting. There were stories to tell, games to dissect, laughter to share and friendships to strengthen. Don's generous nature made everyone feel at home. The Harvey residence became an unofficial extension of the football club — a place where the bonds forged on the field continued long after the final siren. There was a saying among those who knew the place. The pub might shut. Kicka's house never did. And perhaps that single line tells us more about Don Harvey than any list of administrative positions ever could.
He understood that a football club was about people.
-
Not simply winning games
-
Not simply collecting trophies
-
But looking after one another
BCFC - 125 Yrs Celebrations
Past Players
130 Yrs
Museum
Honour Boards
bottom of page