He was the son of Cinderella Ismay (née Bowden) and William Poulter, his father being a storeman and produce agent.
During World War II he joined the reserve of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
[1] In 1947, Poulter was awarded a Tasmanian Government Travelling Scholarship to attend Columbia University in the United States.
He first stood for parliament at the 1951 federal election, losing to Liberal candidate Aubrey Luck in the Tasmanian seat of Darwin.
However, he became ill and was admitted to Princess Alexandra Hospital for two months, preventing him from taking his seat in the Senate and being sworn in.
[3] The ALP nominated the unsuccessful candidate, Alf Arnell, to replace Poulter; however, he was rejected by the Queensland Legislative Assembly.