“He opened those big eyes and I knew there was something different about Wayne,” Mr Harrison said. 

“He was always going to be somebody.”

Mr Harrison’s instinct was right. Mr Harrison’s heart swelled with pride when Wayne, a bright and mischievous child,  went on to be a gifted student academically and athletically at Queen Street Primary School and then the former Ballarat East High School.

“He was always a role model for other kids, especially other indigenous kids,” Mr Harrison said. 

“They looked up to him because not only was he such a great sportsmen, but he also cared about his studies. He cared about people. He would always go out of his way to take others under his wing.”

In adulthood, Wayne decided to dedicate his life to helping others.

The father of two worked closely with indigenous communities in Newcastle, empowering them through access to education and health care. 

But last year, Mr Harrison’s world stopped when Wayne unexpectedly died in his sleep.

“It completely broke our hearts,” Mr Harrison said. 

“There were times when we didn’t know how we were going to get through it.”

In his darkest moments, Mr Harrison’s unconditional love for his son spurred him on.

In a bid to continue his legacy, Mr Harrison, his wife Norma and their family, launched the Wayne Harrison Foundation Scholarship at the Art Gallery of Ballarat on Tuesday.

The day marked Wayne’s 54th birthday.

The scholarship is a partnership with not-for-profit organisation Pipeline, a charity based in the Philippines and chaired by Wayne’s brother-in-law, Roger Vistarini. 

The charity strives to educate some of the world’s most poverty-stricken children.

The organisation works with families who can only afford to send their eldest son to school, meaning that girls and younger boys are never able to realise their potential. 

Many families cannot afford to pay the mandatory birth registration for their children.

It is a plight close to the heart of Mr Harrison.

“Without being registered, the children have no chance at being enrolled into education,” Mr Harrison said. 

“Like our people didn’t exist until the 1967 referendum, these children don’t exist in their country.”

Mr Harrison said Wayne’s eldest son Anthony, a qualified nurse, was the first male in the family to complete a university degree.

It is Mr Harrison’s hope that the scholarship will allow other children in the Philippines to follow in his footsteps.

For less than $4 a week the charity provides access to school, a uniform, educational supplies and food for a child.

For details or to sponsor a child, visit pipeline.org.au

melissa.cunningham@fairfaxmedia.com.au