Payne and his late wife, Mary, raised a family of 10 children with many following in their father's footsteps and working in the racing industry, eight as professional jockeys, making their family surname one of the most famous in Australian racing.
They include their son, Patrick who has forged a highly successful career and boasts Group 1 success as both a jockey, including winning the 2002 Cox Plate on champion Northerly, and more recently as a trainer.
The trainer's daughter, Michelle, also rode multiple Group 1 winners including her historic 2015 Melbourne Cup triumph on Prince Of Penzance, become the first female jockey to win the famous Flemington two-miler.
Payne, born and raised in New Zealand, was a dairy farmer and racehorse trainer in the last 1970s when he purchased the outstanding Our Paddy Boy for just $1300 as a yearling.
Our Paddy Boy won the 1980 Group 1 Ellerslie Sirs before Payne sold the horse to Robert Sangster for $300,000, a huge amount at that time.
This funded the Payne family's move to Ballarat where they set-up this training base.
Payne's wife, Mary, tragically lost her life in a car accident in 1986 leaving the trainer to raise his 10 children.
Tragedy also struck the Payne family last year when daughter, Bernadette,51,passed. The family also mourned the loss of another of his daughters, Brigid, 36, who died in 2007 from a heart attrack.
Racing Victoria chief executive Aaron Morrison said Paddy Payne was the "doyen of a family that has greatly enriched Australian racing and provided us with so many great memories."
"Whilst Paddy has passed, his contribution to the sport will not be forgotten and his legacy will live on,'' Morrison said.
"Paddy will be remembered as a great horseman and a loving father. His positive influence on female jockey participation cannot be undersold, having encouraged his daughters to ride at a time when female jockeys were fighting for acceptance.
"He took great pride in the achievements of his children, along with their partners, and can rest peacefully in the knowledge that he has left the world a better place for his existence."
Australian Trainers Association chief executive Stephen Bell said Payne was a respected horseman who held a trainer's licence in Victoria for over 40 years.
"His role in nurturing a family that has contributed so much to racing is legendary and something that we all respect and are thankful for,'' Bell said.
Ballarat Turf Club chairman Bill Gribble said Payne was a "highly respected figure whose contribution to racing extended well beyond the racetrack."
"Paddy was the patriarch one of Australian racing's most remarkable families, and his influence, horsemanship and dedication to the industry will leave a lasting legacy,'' Gribble said.
Payne continued to train until earlier this year when he saddled up his final runner, Nip, at Kilmore in March. He trained his last winner at the age of 88 when Rosalia scored at Ballarat in August, two years ago.
Payne Snr is survived by his children, Therese, Maree, Cathy, Margaret, Patrick, Andrew, Stevie, Michelle and his extended family including grandchildren.
