William Charles Devenish is a former competitive swimmer of the 1960s and 1970s.[1][2][3]
A Sydney native, Devenish attended Westfields Sports High School and was a dominant swimmer in the Combined Schools competition, holding all possible freestyle records.[4]
Devenish claimed three gold medals at the 1967 national titles in Adelaide and the following year came fourth in the 400 metres freestyle at the national titles, where a podium placing was needed for selection to the Mexico City Olympics.[5][6]
In 1970, Devenish secured a bronze medal in the 100 metres freestyle at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh and won two relay golds, including a world record breaking performance in the 4 x 200 metres freestyle.[7]