Born in the West Flanders capital of Bruges in the Flemish region of Belgium, Wally De Backer–birthname Wouter, but known by his stage name Gotye – was just two when he followed his family across the globe to Australia. The De Backers first resided in Sydney before settling in Montmorency, within close proximity of Parade’s Bundoora Campus.

A Captain of the College in his final year, Wally found an early passion for music, learning to play various instruments, most notably piano and drums. He formed the band Downstares with three of his old school chums (including Lucas Taranto who still plays in Gotye’s live shows) and later The Basics.

In 2011, Wally released ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ – a track taken from the third Gotye studio album ‘Making Mirrors’. The inescapable tune, recorded with New Zealand singer songwriter Kimbra, was a global phenomenon, earning Grammys for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Record of the Year. It would forever alter Wally's financial stability, but not his perspective on songwriting and music creation - for as a composer, singer and songwriter, he’s always done everything on his own terms.

Peer Year 1998
Inducted 2021