David Mortimer Davies (1839 - 1894)

Born 27 Aug 1839 in Blaina, Monmouthshire, Wales, United Kingdom

Husband of Sarah (Phillips) Davies — married 1868 in Ballarat, Victoria (Australia)

Died 18 Jun 1894 at age 54 in Ballarat, Victoria (Australia)

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Biography

Hon. Rev'd David Mortimer Davies

David Davies is Notable.

David Davies was born in Monmouthshire, Wales.

David Mortimer Davies was born on 27th August 1839 in Blaina, Monmouthshire, Wales, United Kingdom. He was the son of Thomas Davies, a miner, and his wife Annie née Lewis. ^[1] The 1851 Wales Census describes his occupation as 'miner'; he was eleven years old. Ten years later the 1861 Wales Census retains this occupation but adds that he is also a 'local Independent preacher' (Independent being the name given to Congregationalists), and his address is listed as 'Berea Independent Chapel'.

David was an ordained Independent (Congregationalist) minister 1866-1875

David was educated for the ministry at Brecon Independent College, Monmouthshire from 1862 to 1866.

David Davies migrated from Wales to Victoria.

He migrated to the British Colonies on the Australian continent, arriving in Port Adelaide, South Australia aboard the wool clipper Coonatto on 14th July 1866. There, David briefly served the Welsh congregation at the copper mining township and port of Wallaroo, on the western side of Yorke Peninsula 160 kilometres (100 miles) northwest of Adelaide, before moving to Victoria the following year and settling in the Ballarat district. There he ministered to the Welsh Congregationalists in mining communities south of Ballarat, such as Buninyong, Ross Creek, Sebastopol, Scarsdale and Smythesdale.

David married Sarah Phillips in 1868 in Ballarat. ^[2] Whilst living at Sebastopol, Ross Creek and then Buninyong, all settlements to the south of Ballarat (4 kms, 14 kms and 11 kms distant respectively), between 1869 and 1883 the couple had four sons and a daughter.

When his liberal views became unacceptable to his deacons, David resigned from the ministry and took up agricultural pursuits in the Buninyong area.

He successfully stood as a candidate for the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Grenville in 1877. His election was challenged on the ground that he was a minister of religion, but the objection failed as he was no longer practicing as such. He represented Grenville until 1894. He accepted appointment as minister without portfolio in October 1887. In June 1889 he became commissioner of public works and vice-president of the Board of Land and Works in the coalition government and was minister of mines from June to November 1890. He was also prominent in local government, serving on the Buninyong Borough Council for many years, and being elected mayor three times. He was a justice of the peace for the Southern Bailiwick.

David was well known, especially in the Ballarat district, as an amateur astronomer. Other interests ranged from entomology to mineralogical and geological collections, the spectrum, telephone and phonograph. In the Welsh community he was particularly prominent, emphasising the contribution of the Welsh to British greatness rather than narrow Welsh patriotism. He was President of the 1890 Ballarat Eisteddford. ^[3][4]

Aged just 54 years, he passed away on 18th June 1894 in Errard Street South, Ballarat and his remains buried in the Ballarat Old Cemetery. ^[5] The Legislative Assembly adjourned for the day as a mark of respect to a member who, without taking a leading role in debates, had given long and faithful service in the House. David was survived by his wife Sarah, four sons (one died shortly after) and a daughter.

Sources

1. ↑ ascertaned from death record
2. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #2122/1868
3. ↑ Croggon MA, Janice. Strangers in a Strange Land: Converging and Accomodating Celtic Identities in Ballarat 1851 - 1901 thesis for PhD; accessed 27 Oct 2022
4. ↑ Hughes, Josiah, Australia Revisited in 1890, and Excursions in Egypt, Tasmania, and New Zealand being extracts from the Diary of a Trip round the World, including Original Observations on Colonial Subjects and Statistical Information on the Pastoral, Agricultural, Horticultural, and Mining Industries of the Colonies, Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, & Company, Stationers’ Hall, Court., London, 1891, p. 151
5. ↑ Victoria Death Index #4648/1894

See also

• Reiger, Kerreen M. 'Davies, David Mortimer (1840–1894)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1972; accessed online 27 Oct 2022.
• Wikipedia: David Davies (Australian politician); accessed 27 Oct 2022.