Born in McKinnon Victoria in 1927, the young Barry Patten balanced his sporting career with his architectural studies. First educated at the Melbourne Technical College, he went on to complete his degree at the University of Melbourne in 1951.
 
The following year, aged 24, Barry was selected in the Australian team that participated in the Oslo 1952 Olympic Winter Games. It was Australia's second appearance at the Winter Olympics after the pioneering participation of speed-skater Kenneth Kennedy in 1936, and the first ever for an Australian Alpine skiing team. Barry competed in the Downhill, Giant Slalom and Slalom events, his best result being a 67th place in the Olympic Downhill.
 
After his Olympic experience, Barry went on to become a prominent architect and many of the projects he worked on are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, such as the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne.
 
Sporting talent clearly ran in the family as Barry's son, Samuel Patten, is also an Olympian. Sam was part of the first iteration of the 'Oarsome Foursome' - a men's rowing coxless four crew who achieved much success in the '90s. A three-times Olympian, Sam won the Bronze medal with the men's coaxed eight at Los Angeles 1984 and a World Championships title with the Oarsome Foursome in 1990.