Ivan Trayling was born in 1936 in Hobart, Tasmania, the son of Ronald George Trayling, Chief Clerk of the State Superannuation Board of the State of Tasmania & the state Labor Party auditor, and Gwendoline Florence Iles.

He went to A.G. Ogilve High School in Hobart, Tasmania and was a star athlete.
Trayling broke a school record on 25 March 1952 which had stood for 14 years when he won the boys' 880 yards championship at the A. G. Ogilvie High School athletic sports, clipping 2 seconds off the previous record set in 1938.
He followed that up the next day with winning the open 100 (in a record 10.1 seconds), 220 and 440 yards, giving him that year's open title.
He was in the Australian Army Cadets for 5 years.

In his first marriage, to Thelma Gwenneth Oberin, a descendant of immigrants from Germany, Scotland, Ireland, and England, he had two children, Sue and Richard.
In 1977, after his divorce, he married Bernadette Simmons (daughter of CDR JB Simmons and Dr Charlotte Simmons), who was descended from a noble Portuguese family traced back to Braz Fernandes (1791–1865), Knight Commander of the Order of Christ and the first ever Vice Consul of Portugal in Bombay.
They had one son, Mark.

He is a graduate of the Australian Department of Defence Industrial Mobilisation Course.
Ivan Trayling was born in 1936 in Hobart, Tasmania, the son of Ronald George Trayling, Chief Clerk of the State Superannuation Board of the State of Tasmania & the state Labor Party auditor, and Gwendoline Florence Iles.
He went to A.G. Ogilve High School in Hobart, Tasmania and was a star athlete. Trayling broke a school record on 25 March 1952 which had stood for 14 years when he won the boys' 880 yards championship at the A. G. Ogilvie High School athletic sports, clipping 2 seconds off the previous record set in 1938. He followed that up the next day with winning the open 100 (in a record 10.1 seconds), 220 and 440 yards, giving him that year's open title. He was in the Australian Army Cadets for 5 years.
In his first marriage, to Thelma Gwenneth Oberin, a descendant of immigrants from Germany, Scotland, Ireland, and England, he had two children, Sue and Richard. In 1977, after his divorce, he married Bernadette Simmons (daughter of CDR JB Simmons and Dr Charlotte Simmons), who was descended from a noble Portuguese family traced back to Braz Fernandes (1791–1865), Knight Commander of the Order of Christ and the first ever Vice Consul of Portugal in Bombay. They had one son, Mark.
He is a graduate of the Australian Department of Defence Industrial Mobilisation Course.
Ivan Trayling