After serving in the armed forces during the war, de Vine probably studied at the Julian Aston School of Art around 1947 before undertaking a scholarship in the US (Sydney Morning Herald 2/8/1947).

During the early forties, De Vine illustrated Council of Four (Syd Miller) and High Compression (KG Murray). He also wrote at least one short story for KG Murray in Man April 1945.

Working for H. John Edwards in the fifties, de Vine took over The Crimson Comet from John Dixon (~1952) and regularly drew Biggles (~1952-1957), based on W.E. Johns' novels.

For 10 years he drew the daily newspaper strip Smoky Dawson (~1952-1962) for the Sydney Sun and the first three issues of KG Murray's Smokey Dawson comic series (1957).

He later became a pin-up photographer for Man magazine.