Career
Born in Balmain Sydney Finlay was an Royal Australian Air Force Flying Officer in World World War World War II His senior rowing was done with the Leichhardt Rowing Club in Sydney where he was club captain in 1952. In the three seasons from 1950 to 1952 he was selected in the New South Wales state VIII which contested the Kings Cup at the Australian Rowing Championships. The New South Wales crew were national champions in 1950 and 1951 and were selected in toto as the Olympic representative VIII for 1952 in spite of finishing 2nd to Victoria in the Interstate Championships that year.
He was admitted to the Bar in 1952 and practised as a Queen"s Counsel in New South Wales.
From 1984 to 1994 he was a New South Wales Supreme Court judge. In 2007 he was recommended and took up a post as Inspector (Assistant Commissioner) of the newly established New South Wales Police Integrity Commission.
Finlay died on 2 July 2014.