In 1971, Garry graduated with a BA from Adelaide University. During 1972 and 1973 he travelled extensively, living and working in the UK, Europe, Israel and Africa. Later he graduated from Monash University with an MA in Australian History and went on to further study at La Trobe University. Meanwhile, Garry had begun writing short stories for literary magazines and, on the strength of these, was awarded a creative writing fellowship to Stanford University, California, in 1978. It was here that he wrote his first collection of short stories.