Merv Finlay was an Olympic bronze medalist with the Australian eight-oared crew at Helsinki, which had four Leichhardt Rowing Club oarsmen, a club for which Finlay served as captain. He had earlier been a runner, winning the 1948 state title at 880 yards, after he had served as a flying officer with the Royal Australian Air Force in World War II. Finlay studied law and later was admitted to the Bar in 1952, and eventually became an Australian Supreme Court Justice, serving in that role from 1984-94. He was also a member of Queen’s Council. After his retirement as a Judge, he was appointed by the New South Wales State Cabinet to be an Inspector of the Police Integrity Commission.
Australia