Notable Alumni

This is a list of notable people who have studied at Waverley College. It is by no means exhaustive; corrections and suggestions for further additions are welcome.

Since its establishment in 1903 Waverley College alumni have been successful in politics, the creative arts, the law, media, medicine, the military, religion, sport and academia.

Creative Arts and Media

• Neville Anderson, architect, Associate Professor at the School of Architecture at the University of New South Wales
• Daniel Ardilley ACS, cinematographer
• Adrian Bernotti, actor, writer, Class of 74 (ATN7), Killing of Angel St, Airtight, Review with Myles Barlow (ABCTV), Water Rats, Touch & Go, Mission Top Secret
• Scott Cam, TV personality with the Nine Network
• Sam de Brito, journalist and blogger for The Sydney Morning Herald
• Bruce Dellit, architect and pioneer of the Art Deco style. His most notable works include: the ANZAC Memorial and the Bank of New South Wales
• James Hugh Donohoe, historian/author including Captain Bligh’s Petticoat Mutiny and Mary Breen Where are You?
• John Flanagan, author of The Ranger’s Apprentice series and The Brotherband Chronicles
• Costa Georgiadis, author, landscape architect, environmental educator and television presenter for ABC TV Gardening Australia. Gold Logie winner, 2019.
• Frank Giacco, artist (painting). Winner of the Archibald Prize in 1994.
• Robert Grasso, Head of Sport, SBS World News
• Michael Idato, journalist and critic for The Sydney Morning Herald
• A/Prof Frank Letters, author, classicist, lawyer, Associate Professor of the Department of Classics, University of New England
• Damien Lovelock, musician, sports broadcaster, writer and raconteur
• John McKellar, playwright and social satirist
• Justin Melvey, television actor (Home and Away, Days of Our Lives)
• Michael Mucci, award-winning artist, painter and illustrator
• Chris O’Keefe, journalist, 2016 Walkley Award Winner; 2017 Journalist of the Year NSW Kennedy Awards
• Johnny O’Keefe, Australian rock and roll singer of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s
• Ezra Norton, newspaper proprietor
• Daniel Sumegi, opera singer
• Peter Switzer, media personality, economist and business advisor

Law, Politics and Public Service

• Ray Aston, Member for Vaucluse, Minister for Corrective Services, NSW State Government
• John Breen, MP for Calare, 1940-46
• Peter Collins AM QC, former leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party, deputy premier and treasurer
• Hon W H Collins, Judge, Supreme Court of NSW
• Hon Kevin Coleman, Judge, Workers Compensation Court of NSW, College Captain, President of Old Boys’ Union
• Fred Daly, Minister for Services and Property in the Whitlam Government and Leader of the House of Representatives
• Hon William Dignam, Judge, Workers Compensation Court of NSW
• Hon Foord, Judge, District Court of NSW
• Tony Grasso, Sydney solicitor, General Counsel Subaru Australia and Chairman, Legal Committee, Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI)
• Hon M F Hardie, Judge, Supreme Court of NSW
• Michael Harkins MVO PSM, NSW Director of Protocol
• Hon J D Holmes, Judge, Supreme Court of  NSW
• Hon Abram “Abe” Landa, CMG, Member for Bondi, Minister for Labour, Industry and Social Welfare; Minister for Housing; NSW Agent General, London
• Michael Malley, Sydney solicitor, previously served as both Vice President and President of the Eastern Suburbs Law Society
• Patrick McClure AO, Civil society leader, CEO Mission Australia (1997-2006) (also attended St Peter’s College, Auckland)
• Hon John McKeon, Judge, Industrial Court of NSW
• Hon John Kennedy McLaughlin,  AM KCSG KGCHS Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of NSW
• Nelson Meers AO, Former Lord Mayor of Sydney and Philanthropist
• John Murphy, Australian Labor politician who served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1998 until 2013, representing Lowe and then Reid
• Barry O’Keefe AM QC, judge in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and former commissioner of the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption
• Hon Slattery, Judge, Supreme Court of NSW
• Hon G B Thomas, Judge, District Court of NSW
• Bill Tilley, Victorian politician and member for Benambra (also attended St Gregory’s College, Campbelltown & Redden College)
• Paul Urquhart QC, Former District Court Judge
• Charles Waterstreet, Sydney barrister and author
• Thomas Williams, MP for Robertson, 1943-49
• Dr David Clune OAM, historian and editor

Military

• Major General John Austin Chapman, CB, DSO and Bar, OBE, served in both World Wars
• General Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC, 26th Governor-General of Australia (2014 – 2019); Chief of the Defence Force (2002–04); Chancellor of the Australian Catholic University (2005–14); Australian of the Year 2011
• Thomas James Bede Kenny VC (1896–1953), recipient of the Victoria Cross
• William Roche (Class of 58); recipient of Commendation for Gallantry for actions during battle of Long Tan, Vietnam (1966)

Religious

• Patrick Dougherty (1931 – 2010), Bishop Emeritus and Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Bathurst, from 1983 until his death in 2010
• Brother Vince Duggan, Province Leader, Edmund Rice Oceania
• Most Reverend Geoffrey Mayne, AM, DD (1928-2003), Bishop of the Australian Defence Force
• Father Christoper Sheehy, Canon Law Judge and head of the Catholic Tribunal Sydney

Science and Medicine

• A/Prof Brett Gerard Courtenay OAM MB BS FRACS (Ortho) FAOrthA (Class of ’68). Orthopaedic Surgeon, St Vincent’s. Chairman of the Board, St. Vincent’s. He currently holds the rank of Colonel and is the Senior Medical Officer and Chair of Clinical Governance for the 2^nd Division of the Army. He is a former director of MBF Australia Group and was part of the corporate governance leading to its sale to BUPA.
• Dr Kevin Adrian Doyle, D.V.Sc., AM. Kevin graduated from the University of Sydney in 1963 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science (B.V.Sc.). Positions he has held include: Veterinary Attache at the Australian Embassy in Washington and the Australian High Commission in Ottawa; Australian Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer; Assistant Director General of Health for Animal Quarantine in the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS); member of the International Animal Health Code Commission of the World Organisation for Animal Health (Office International des Epizooties – OIE), Paris, and President of the ACT Veterinary Board.
• Associate Professor Bruno Giuffre, radiologist specialist
• Dr Frank Gubler, Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Agriculture
• Professor Clifford Griffin, Associate Professor of Dental Histology and Embryology at Sydney University
• Professor Ian Hickie, AM, Consultant to the Federal Government on Mental Health, co-director Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney
• Professor John Bernard Hickie, AO, first Chair of Medicine at St Vincent’s Hospital UNSW, cardiology and general medicine
• Archibald Vincent (Archie) McKinnon, MBE, a psychiatric nurse who was seminal in establishing A.A. in Australia
• MAJGEN Charles New OAM, Surgeon Gen -R, Professor University Sydney, A/Prof Western Sydney University
• Dr Thomas Joseph Claffey AM, orthopaedic surgeon
• Dr Leonard (Len) King, 1936 Rhodes Scholar
• Professor Michael Francis O’Rourke AM, cardiologist

Sport

• Nick Blakey, professional AFL footballer playing with the Sydney Swans since 2019
• Tom Brooks, Cricket, umpired 23 International Test Matches (Australia v England; v New Zealand; v Pakistan; v West Indies; v India) 1970-1978
• David M Brown, Australian Rugby League Captain 1935/36; Kangaroo Tour of England & France 1933/34; Youngest Australian Captain at 22; Eastern Suburbs 1st Grade, Easts Captain at 19; NSW Captain at 21.
• Matt Burke, played for the Wallabies in 1984 and in the 1987 Rugby World Cup, and then for Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Eastern Suburbs Roosters and Balmain Tigers in the NSWRL Premiership.
• Michael Cleary AO, former rugby league and rugby union player, Commonwealth Games sprint competitor and politician as Minister for Sport in the Wran Government (1981–88)
• Peter John Cook, jockey, winning rider of Melbourne Cup in 1981 (Just a Dash) and 1984 (Black Knight)
• Clay Cross, Australian shot putter and competitor in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games
• Ryan Cross, rugby league and rugby union player; Wallabies 2008
• Morris Curotta, Athlete, London Olympics 1948; Helsinki Olympics 1952 (Semi-finalist 100m and finalist 400m).
• Charles Donohoe, Australian Tennis International, 1930-34
• Bob Dwyer, Rugby: 347 Grade Games for Randwick; Randwick Coach – Premiers 1978-81; Australian Coach 1982-84 & 1988-95

• Tom English, rugby union professional player for the Melbourne Rebels
• Owen Finegan, Australian Wallabies player, 1996-2003
• Bob Fordham, Rugby 1970-82 v France, USA, Canada, Scotland
• Adam Freier, broadcaster and former rugby union professional player
• Murray Garretty, Swimming – 1956 Melbourne Olympics competitor. In January and February 1956, Garretty broke the Australian records for the 880 yards, 800 meters, 1650 yards twice and the Australian and Olympic records for the 1500 metres.
• Brent Harding, Swimming – Monte Carlo 1988, Pan Pacific Games 1980, Commonwealth Games Auckland 1991, World Swimming Championships Perth 1991, Edmonton Pan Pacific Games 1991.
• Brett Hawke, Swimming, NCAA National Freestyle Champion 1999, Australian 50m Freestyle Champion 2000, Semi-finalist 50m Freestyle Sydney 2000 Olympics
• Isaac Heeney, professional AFL footballer playing with the Sydney Swans as a midfielder/forward since 2015
• Stephen Hoiles, rugby union player
• Peter Jones, rugby union player Randwick, rugby league player Balmain. Wallaby rugby union side, 1963
• Tim Kava, rugby union player Randwick, Wallaby rugby union side
• Kenneth Kennedy, speed skater and ice hockey player, Australia’s first Winter Olympian
• Eric Lewis, Rugby League, NSW vs Qld 1935, Kangaroo Tour 1937/38
• Massimo Luongo  Australian international football player, midfielder for English club Queens Park Rangers and the Socceroos 2015-16
• Jim Lynch, Skating, Sapporo Winter Olympics 1972
• Shawn Mackay, Rugby 7s Commonwealth Games competitor, 2006
• Tony Madigan, Boxing –  Olympics: Helsinki 1952, Melbourne 1956, Rome 1960 (Bronze Medal). Commonwealth Games: Vancouver 1954, Cardiff 1958, Perth 1962
• Will McCarthy – Professional sailor on the winning team in the America’s Cup (2003, 2007 and 2013) and the Sydney to Hobart (2000, 2011 and 2021).
• Francis ‘Wally’ Meagher, Rugby – Waratah 1927/28, Coach of NSW & Australia, President NSWRU 1966, President Randwick Rugby Club 1954-66, 100 1st Grade games for Randwick
• Terry Nicoll, Pentathlon, 1956 Melbourne Olympics, World Championships 1966
• Des O’Reilly, Rugby – Roosters Premiership team 1975
• Patrick Phibbs, Rugby Union player
• John ‘Jack’ Maxwell Potts, Rugby International 1956-59, Wallaby v NZ 1957, v British Isles 1957/58, v Wales, Ireland & British Lions 1959
• John Reinberger, Rugby – Roosters Premiership team 1975
• Luke Ricketson, Rugby League International 2000, 2003; Sydney Roosters 1991-2005; Captain Sydney Roosters, 2005
• Nicholas Rizzo, Football – Australian Joeys 1995, Socceroos 1998, Olyroos 1998-2000
• Greg Smith, PhD, world and Australian surf lifesaving champion for Bondi SBLSC in swim and iron man, Australian marathon swim champion. Served with Australian Army, East Timor 2001
• Jack Standen, Cyclist, 1928 Olympics Amsterdam
• Murray Tate, Rugby, v All Blacks 1951, 1952; v Fiji 1952; v Springboks 1953, NSW 1st XV 1948-55
• Cyril H Towers, Rugby, Captain of Australia, NSW & Randwick. Toured Britain, France, Canada 1927-28; v New Zealand 1926-34; v Great Britain 1930; v South Africa 1937; v Queensland 1929-1938. Played 233 1st grade games for Randwick.
• Morgan Turinui, rugby union player, Wallabies 2003-2005
• Bill Watson, Australian cricketer; v England, 1955; Toured West Indies; 1955, Toured New Zealand 1956; 27 Shield Games for NSW; played for St George 1953-1973
• Australian Open 6 Man Rescue and Resuscitation Champions, aka Surf Life Saving Australia ‘Premiers’ 1989/90 : John Laforest (Class of 75) Nick Nezval (Class of 84) Charles Fountain (Class of 85) David Drevon (Class of 86) Martin Nezval (Class of 86) Adam Nezval (Class of 87).  Robert Watkins Coach.
  Australian Open 6 Man Rescue and Resuscitation Champions, aka Surf Life Saving Australia ‘Premiers’ 1991/92 : John Laforest (Class of 75) Nick Nezval (Class of 84) Charles Fountain (Class of 85) David Drevon (Class of 86) William Hardman (Class of 91) Adam Nezval (Class of 87).  Robert Watkins Coach.

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