William Haynes

William Haynes was one of Scotland’s finest swimmers in the early part of the 20th Century. Hailing from Edinburgh, he was a member of the Warrender Baths Club and started as a quarter-miler. However, he went on to win 12 Scottish titles at distances from 100 to 880 yards between 1905-11, and in 1906 won all four freestyle titles, 100, 220, 440 and 880. Between 1905-12 Haynes set every Scottish freestyle record, and at Leith in March 1911, shortly after returning to Scotland following nearly a year in Australia, he became the first British amateur to swim 100 yards under one minute, with a time of 59.0. Haynes was also a fine water polo player, and was a member of the Wynman club that won the Scottish Championship three years in succession 1904-06.

Haynes appeared in the 400 metres freestyle at the 1908 London Olympics and finished second in his heat to the eventual bronze medallist, Otto Scheff of Austria. Only the winner went through to the semi-final. Haynes was almost certain to make the British team for the Stockholm Olympics, but had made the decision to emigrate permanently to Australia at the start of 1912. He lived and worked in the Perth area and was a senior official in the Kalgoorlie fire service, and was also a member of the Kalgoorlie Swimming Club. In 1915 he added to his collection of Scottish titles by winning the Western Australia 100 yards freestyle.