[5] At the end of 1927 and just out of school, Carlton ran as the New South Wales representative at an Australasian Games in Wellington and won the 100yd and 200yds events.

[1] His 20.6s run to win the 220 yards national championship at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1932 created a sensation, smashing the world record (then 21.0s), and was controversially judged as wind assisted.

The judge reportedly used a piece of wood to ascertain the wind speed and his decision was disputed by observers present at the time.

[5][9] In 1932 Carlton retired from athletics and entered the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart seminary in order to become a priest; a move that meant he could not compete at the 1932 Olympics.

Carlton then worked as a school teacher at Barker College and in 1948 was appointed as a selector and coach for the New South Wales Amateur Athletic Association.