"Terry is of [a] very strong build and is a very clever and brilliant footballer." Rugby League Review , 18 August 1963

Terry was born in Wagga Wagga on 3 July 1945, and attended Wagga Wagga Public and Wagga Wagga High schools.

Growing up, Terry played all sorts of sports including basketball (played in the NSW State competition at school), rugby league (played in the junior boys' knockout league in primary school), cricket, and he represented the Riverina in soccer.  Terry eventually chose to focus on rugby league and touch football as those were the sports that his mates played.

In 1963 Terry was the Wagga Junior's captain (rugby league).  Like several of his team members, Terry was a member of the Wagga Magpies Premiership winning Junior side in Group 20 football the previous year.

Terry had an offer to go and play rugby league in Sydney – the Wagga Magpies put a £3,500 transfer fee on him – but he didn't go, as his parents thought that he was too young.

When Peter Sterling played for the Wagga Kangaroos, Terry was his coach.

In 1976 Terry played for NSW, and was judged Australia's Best and Fairest when he represented his country in the 1976 tour of New Zealand, scoring a record seven tries in one game.  Understandably, this was one of the highlights of Terry's career, but he enjoyed everything about his sport, and played the best that he could in all the sports he tried.

Terry retired from professional touch football when he married and started working for himself as a plasterer.  He could no longer afford to get injured.

Although no longer involved in touch football, Terry loves watching NRL matches, and enjoys fishing, particularly when chasing Barramundi in the Northern Territory.  In 2016 he is still happy to call the Riverina home.