[1] He was born in Geraldton, Western Australia, the eldest son of Patrick Laurence Troy and Mabel Nielson, who had married in the previous year.
Before joining academia, he was secretary of the Maritime Services Union in Perth and a founder of the Trades and Labour Council of Western Australia.
He became Deputy Secretary in the Federal Department of Urban and Regional Development in the Whitlam government.
[5][6] He held public appointments including Deputy Chairman of the Australian Housing Corporation 1984-1992, Member of the Australian Housing Council 1995, Member of the Board of Inquiry into the Administration of Leasehold in the Australian Capital Territory 2003-2006 and Member of the ACT Planning and Land Council.
[7] Troy was made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) posthumously in the 2019 Australia Day Honours for "eminent service to urban and regional planning, to environmental sustainability and social justice policy, and as a mentor and role model".