Story: Open water swimming

Barrie Devenport after his Cook Strait swim

On 20 November 1962 Barrie Devenport made history as the first person in modern times to swim Cook Strait. He is shown here, soon after making it to the South Island, flanked by support swimmers from the Worser Bay Life Saving Club. This radio coverage is of the last moments of his swim.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PAColl-7327)
Reference: EP/1962/3431a

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

Sound file from Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, Radio New Zealand collection. Any re-use of this audio is a breach of copyright. To request a copy of the recording, contact Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision (Coverage of Barry Davenport's swim across Cook Strait /Reference number T305).

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How to cite this page:

Nancy Swarbrick, 'Open water swimming - Major marathon courses', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/speech/6902/barrie-devenport-after-his-cook-strait-swim (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 12 Jun 2006, updated 1 Feb 2016