Hailing from the country New South Wales town of Dubbo, Parish played for the Macquarie club, becoming their first international when he was selected to go on the 1959/60 Kangaroo tour.
[1][2][3] In 1959 Parish scored a try and kicked three goals in the New South Wales team's loss to Queensland that attracted 35,261 spectators, smashing Brisbane's previous record for an interstate match of 22,817.
Parish started playing first grade in the Sydney premiership for the Western Suburbs club in the 1961 NSWRFL season and that year toured New Zealand with the Australian side, making his Test debut.
Following his retirement from the playing field, Parish coached on the Southern New South Wales coast, taking the Illawarra Rugby League's Western Suburbs club to premierships in 1969 and 1970, as well as coaching the Illawarra group team to victory in the Country Divisional Championship.
[7] At the end of the 1971 NSWRFL season Parish was appointed to take over from Ron Watson as Western Suburbs' first grade coach.