Wayne Merry was born at Nambucca Heads on the NSW north coast in 1949. His family moved to the nearby town of Coffs Harbour where Wayne spent his formative years.
In an interview in 1984, Wayne was referred to as a Coffs Harbour orphan who left school in form four. His parents lived to their senior years so it is unclear why Wayne found himself in the Westmead Boys Home as an adolescent.
However the Westmead Home had a reputation for developing good and disciplined sportsmen. Former Wests First Grade players that were alumni of the Home included Dick Vest and Joe Lindsay.
Wayne’s connection with Wests goes back to at least 1963. That year Wests took a bus load of boys as a cheer squad to the Grand Final between Wests and St George. Wayne was amongst those lads, so the black and the white was ingrained in him from an early age.
Wayne Merry – Clip from Cold Chisel’s Flame Trees – Filmed North Annandale Hotel 1983
