Western Australian Water Polo Life Member Gary Payne has been inducted to the Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, USA on September 13.
Gary thanked Australian Water Polo, Western Australian Water Polo and the Perth masters for their support in getting to Florida after 28 hours of flying.
Gary was nominated a few years ago and came through in the worldwide voting process last year, culminating in his inclusion of the Class of 2025 as the sole water polo representative alongside inductees from the other aquatic disciplines.
Gary becomes the first water polo player from Australia to be inducted to this famed organisation.
The International Swimming Hall of Fame inductions were held in Singapore in July where elite athletes were elevated to the Hall, the first time the ceremony was not staged alongside the Masters inductions.
Gary’s induction information was from 2023 and does not include this year’s success in Singapore where the Perth Cockatoos won the 75+ gold medal.
GARY PAYNE (AUS) Masters Water Polo Player
INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 8 FINA WORLD MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIPS (2008–2023): 2 GOLD, 2 BRONZE, 1 SILVER; 2008 (Perth) 60+; 2010 (Gutenberg) 60+; 2012 (Riccione) 65+; 2014 (Montreal) BRONZE 65+; 2015 (Kazan) BRONZE 65+; 2017, (Budapest) GOLD 70+; 2019 (Gwangju) GOLD 70+ (suffered heart attack, did not take water), 2023 (Fukuoka) SILVER 75+. Thai Pacific Masters, Bangkok 2014 65+; 2016 65+ BRONZE; 2018 70+ GOLD; 2023 75+ SILVER; 2015 Australian Masters GOLD.
Gary has been the driving force of Masters water polo in Australia for many years, from the first Australian Masters in Perth in 2003 right through to the current day where health concerns have seen him slow down. He has toured the world following his favorite sport and as a player at eight FINA/World Aquatics Masters World Championships has won his fair share of medals.
Gary grew up in water polo as a leading player in the state of Western Australia, winning numerous state titles with various clubs, more lately with Somerset and Dolphins and eventually with the team that shaped his international playing career — the Perth Cockatoos.
Gary has a reputation for fairness and knowledge of the game through his extensive involvement with refereeing. He brought that experience to his playing teams and made sure that they played with the correctness and the spirit of fair play at a time when Masters players seem to think they know everything and don’t need guidance.
Gary’s sharp drives, expert assists, ferocious defence and finishing ability made him an integral part of any team he played. Gary understands it’s not about the player but about the team when deciding who should shoot goals.
At the leading edge of World Masters, Gary made sure that he had a team around him to contest many of the championships he attended. His steadfast adherence to getting Masters to play, brought back many old players who had been out of the game for some time. They evolved and had second careers in the sport thanks to Gary’s influence and dynamism. His liaisons with Japanese, German and United States of American Masters, in particular, has made sure that the top end of the world competitions — firstly 65+, then 70+ and now 75+ — were viable internationally and has allowed those nations to flourish.
His strict training regimes saw the Perth Cockatoos get out of bed early every Sunday morning of the year for training with extra sessions thrown in midweek, including ocean swims, with competition on Tuesday nights in the summer.
He was involved in the early Australian Masters Championships in the 1980- 90s, winning medals in Brisbane and Sydney, as well as gold in 2015. His administration skills encompass club, state and national appointments, including the multi-sport Arafura Games (Darwin) between 1993-2005.
It was refereeing where he also excelled, gaining FINA international standard and participating as both an athlete and a referee at numerous FINA Masters.
His involvement playing and refereeing at every level within Australia and mentorship and assessing abilities have seen a host of new officials flow through his hands. There is a trophy (the Gary Payne Perpetual Trophy) which is awarded annually to developing referees throughout Western Australia.
He was instrumental in nurturing Masters tournaments in Asia before Covid curtailed those events and helping revive them. His leadership and drive have seen numerous Masters teams from Western Australia become involved in FINA and Asian events and the Perth competition is the paramount Masters competition in the country. He has been awarded two Life Memberships in Western Australian by Water Polo Western Australia among his many accolades, and he has been heavily involved in promoting water polo in regional Australia with numerous Western Australian and Australian Country national championships.
He was on the organising committee of the Thai Pacific Masters 2014-18 and the organizing committee of the Princess Chulabhorn Cup in Bangkok 2016-18. In 2018, he attended the inaugural Perak Water Polo Cup in Ipoh, Malayasia as the Technical Delegate. He has been the Technical Delegate at the Bangkok Cup in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Gary is still playing and contested the Masters tournament in Singapore this year, winning gold in the 75+ division.
A top-level Referee and Technical Delegate for nearly 40 years, Gary has been a vital cog in the Australian National League and National Championships, state and club events around Australia. Gary’s immense value to Masters water polo in Australia and Asia is incalculable.
