Norris was born in
Lilydale, Victoria to William Perrin Norris, a medical doctor, and his wife Mary Jane née Foulkes. He attended school at the
Melbourne Church of England Grammar School. He had a strong histrionic bent, playing in
Gregan McMahon's troupe, on one occasion alongside
J. Beresford Fowler in Ibsen's
John Gabriel Borkman, sharing the stage with
Nellie Melba. Norris entered
Trinity College at the
University of Melbourne in 1913 while studying medicine, graduated in 1916 with a
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), before becoming a
Doctor of Medicine (MD) four years later. ==Military service==