# Baldy Thompson — While the Billy Boils character guide

> Baldy Thompson in While the Billy Boils by Henry Lawson.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** old Baldy Thompson, Baldy, Thompson, Rough

**First appearance:** 0052-baldy-thompson

## Snapshot

A squatter of the old order, wig-wearing and argumentative, who feeds every swagman on the track in exchange for a good political fight.

## Who they are

Baldy is a rough, squarish man with a curly auburn wig and a lifelong grudge against banks, government, and the country itself, though the men swear by him as old Baldy the squatter. He will keep a shearer on the payroll all day just to argue unionism and politics, and the guileless traveller who feigns interest in his opinions leaves with a full nosebag. His shed is a legendary tucker track, and his grumbling hospitality makes him one of Lawson's most affectionately drawn bush characters.

## Relationships

### [The Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/characters/the_narrator)

_friendship_

Baldy Thompson is a fellow bush worker and mate of the narrator, known for his tall tales and rough humor.

### [The Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/characters/the_narrator)

_friendship_

Baldy Thompson is a fellow bush worker and mate of the narrator, known for his tall tales and rough humor.

## In the story

### [Baldy Thompson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/chapters/baldy-thompson)

The central figure, a squatter with a rough appearance and a passion for politics, known for his contradictory nature—grumbling yet generous, especially to those who argue with him.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/characters/baldy_thompson
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/while_the_billy_boils_se/characters