Wayne Harrison (born in East Melbourne in 1953) was a child and teenage star performing on stage and television, including performing in J.C. Williamsons' musicals. He abandoned his career as a performer and moved to Sydney in 1975.
In 1977 Harrison enrolled at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Theatre Studies Department, and completed an Honours Degree.
1980: Started working on the magazine Campaign; opening "The Bookshop" in Darlinghurst; visiting London in 1980, meeting with Richard Wherrett, then Artistic Director of the recently formed Sydney Theatre Company (STC) in Sydney. He became the literary adviser for the Sydney Theatre company and then took over from Wherrett as Artistic Director of the STC in 1990.
In 2005-2007 Harrison was the Creative Director of Sydney's New Year's Eve event. 2007 he was the director of the Helpmann Awards for Live Performance Australia, as well as the Spiegelworld circus/cabaret sensation Absinthe which played in New York.
In 2006 he was the director of the 2006 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony, held in Melbourne, as well as the director of the touring production of 2 Weeks with the Queen for Adelaide's Windmill Theater Arts and End of the Rainbow in Sydney, Melbourne and the Edinburgh Festival.
From 1999 to 2001, he was the Creative Director of SFX/Back Row and Clear Channel Entertainment (Europe).
From 1990 to 1999 he was the Director/CEO of the Sydney Theatre Company.