Devine was born in the South Island city of Blenheim and started his career there aged 17 as a cadet on the Marlborough Express.
[1] In 1953, Devine worked for West Australian Newspapers in Perth, contributing to the Western Mail.
He later worked as a foreign correspondent in New York, London and Tokyo[1] before returning to Perth as editor of the Weekend News in 1970.
[3] Remaining in the United States, Devine was appointed editor at the Chicago Sun-Times by Rupert Murdoch.
[4][1] The eldest, Miranda Devine, has been a columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald and the Daily Telegraph.