John George Davies

Who was John George Davies?

Sir John George Davies KCMG was a Tasmanian politician, newspaper proprietor and first-class cricketer.

Davies' Jewish father John Snr. and grandfather had been transported to Australia as convicts and Davies was born in Melbourne to John Snr. and Elizabeth Davies following Davies Snr's release.

The Davies family moved to Tasmania where Davies Snr co-founded the Hobart Mercury and became a prominent citizen of Hobart, including serving in the Tasmanian House of Assembly.

Davies and his brother Charles were educated at Melbourne Grammar School and The Hutchins School in Hobart, where he showed great promise as a sportsman.