He started racing in Townsville, Queensland, Australia at the age of 12. In 1970 after winning the Queensland Individual Pursuit Championship he moved to Newcastle, New South Wales to race with the elite Riders, Ian Chapman and Bob Ryan. Hartley was a successful track rider on the European track racing scene during 1972 and 1973.
He achieved first and fastest in his first handicap road race, a 3-mile event at Townsville. He won his second race, the same month, at the Royals Amateur Cycling Club track in Townsville. He won several juvenile and junior championships before beginning to compete for prize money at the age of 16, which in Australian at that time deemed him a professional and he then joined the Townsville City Wheelers. He won the New South Wales state individual pursuit championship that year. In 1971 Hartley won the Australian five mile track championship and came third in the Australian National Road race the same year.
