Peter Norris with a copy of his book, The Bank Robber's Boy.
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The Bank Robber’s Boy is a memoir written by Peter Norris, focusing on his early life living in foster homes, institutions and on the run with his father Clarence “Clarry” Norris (each time he had escaped from gaol).
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Clarry was on the television show Australia’s Most Wanted in the late 1980s.
This amazing story, published by Simon and Schuster, is one of survival and choices.
Peter Norris, at age 12 and a ward of the state, was taken to Girgarre in 1987 to be fostered by Joan and Jack Dullard on their dairy farm.
Peter Norris in his role as chief executive at the Cowowa Club.
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Peter had been fostered out many times in his young life.
Was it fate that Peter finally found a place to call home? (Chapter 16) He had been robbing a house in Shepparton when the lady of the house returned home.
She was sympathetic to Peter’s situation as a young boy and instead of being sent to another institution, she helped find a place for Peter with the Dullard family.
Peter’s turning point in life was his time living with the Dullard family.
Peter attended St Augustine's College Kyabram, 1987 to 1989, in Years 8, 9 and 10, where he made life-long friends and settled down to school life.
Peter Norris as a boy at school.
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This was extremely difficult for Peter as he had missed out on schooling in Year 6 and 7.
The students did not know of his background and the turmoil he was going through, other than he was a foster child.
Perhaps this may have been a fraction easier for Peter than his other city foster homes by settling in a small class in a country town.
He continued his schooling in Years 11 and 12 at the Kyabram High School with many of his school friends and then went on to University.
Peter Norris as a young boy with other family members.
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The below is information from the book.
This is the against-all-odds story of Peter Norris, the son of one of Australia’s most wanted criminals, and his struggle to escape his father’s shadow.
Born into a life of crime, Peter’s earliest memories are shaped by the chaos of his father’s criminal exploits.
Torn from home to home and running from heist to heist, his childhood was marked by violence, betrayal, and upheaval.
In this compelling memoir, Peter exposes the truth of his turbulent upbringing. As the youngest son of Clarence “Clarry” Norris, a notorious fugitive, Peter recounts the powerful love and loyalty that bound him to his father, creating a profound inner struggle between the allure of the underworld and the desire for normalcy.
Kyabram Newsagency's Jo Doolan can help people looking for a copy of the book.
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Faced with a heart-wrenching decision at just 12 years old, Peter had to choose between following his father's criminal path or seizing a lifeline.
The memoir moves from the underbelly of 1970s Sydney to the outskirts of Melbourne, highlighting a troubling chapter in Australian history when Peter and other innocent children were sent to abusive institutions.
Ultimately, Peter rises from the ruins of his troubled past, embarking on a remarkable journey of self-discovery and growth.
He defies the odds to become a successful CEO of Club Corowa, world-class athlete, and motivational speaker.
The Bank Robber’s Boy is the unfiltered account of innocence on the edge of law and one young boy’s unyielding determination to overcome his past.
But Peter’s life is not defined by crime and tragedy; it’s shaped by courage and transformation.
As a former state ward, he now provides a safe and secure home for vulnerable children and young people as a dedicated foster carer. He is also a motivational speaker, sharing his inspiring messages of resilience and redemption with audiences across Australia.
In a journey that spans far beyond the boardroom, Peter is living proof of how one man can change his destiny and make a difference; not despite the odds, but because of them.
In a journey that spans far beyond the boardroom, Peter is living proof of how one man can change his destiny and make a difference; not despite the odds, but because of them.
– Eileen Sullivan, Kyabram Historical Society librarian/secretary
