Misplaced Pages

John Davies CMG (2 March 1839 – 23 May 1896), was a member of the Parliament of New South Wales.

Davies was born in Sydney, the son of John Davies, of New South Wales. In 1861 he married Miss Elisabeth Eaton.

Starting in business as an ironmonger and general blacksmith, he commenced to take an active part in politics on the Liberal side as soon as he was of age. On 1 December 1874 he was elected an alderman for the City of Sydney, serving as an alderman until 1882. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly as one of four members for East Sydney at the election on 9 December 1874, representing this seat until 1880. He was Postmaster-General in the Robertson Government from August to December 1877. Davies was acting British Commissioner at the Sydney International Exhibition in 1879, and was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the following year, when he was a Commissioner for New South Wales to the Melbourne International Exhibition; as also for the Amsterdam Exhibition in 1883, and the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in 1886. He was President of the Royal Commission on Friendly Societies.

In 1880 Davies switched to the new district of South Sydney, In 1882 he was defeated for South Sydney, and then a week later was unsuccessful at Kiama. He was returned as a member for South Sydney in 1885, but was defeated again in 1887. He was not well educated and acquired the nickname "Jannery", on account of his inability to correctly spell January, under cross examination by Frederick Darley QC, during his slander case against John Harris.

Davies was appointed to the Legislative Council in December 1887, taking his seat in February 1888 and serving until his death on 23 May 1896(1896-05-23) (aged 57).

References

1. ^ "Mr John Davies CMG (1839-1896)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
2. ^ Mennell, Philip (1892). "Davies, Hon. John" . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
3. "The city elections". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 December 1874. p. 4. Retrieved 21 February 2021 – via Trove.
4. "John Davies". Sydney's aldermen. City of Sydney. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
5. Green, Antony. "1874-5 East Sydney". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
6. "No. 24898". The London Gazette. 5 November 1880. p. 5571.
7. Nairn, Bede. "Davies, John (1839–1896)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
8. Green, Antony. "1880 South Sydney". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
9. Green, Antony. "1882 South Sydney". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
10. Green, Antony. "1882 Kiama". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
11. Green, Antony. "1885 South Sydney". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
12. Green, Antony. "1887 South Sydney". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
13. "Death of John Davies CMG". Barrier Miner. 25 May 1896. p. 2. Retrieved 20 February 2021 – via Trove.
14. "The slander case: Davies v Harris". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 June 1883. p. 4. Retrieved 21 February 2021 – via Trove.
15. "Summonsed to the Legislative Council". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 760. 30 December 1887. p. 8609. Retrieved 29 June 2020 – via Trove.

• 1839 births
• Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
• Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council
• 1896 deaths
• 19th-century Australian politicians
• Colony of New South Wales politicians
• Australian Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George
• Postmasters-general of New South Wales