Edited by Trudi Anne Gribble
Author Vivienne Sinclair
George Thomas Davis: Entrepreneur and Prospector
George Thomas Davis was born around 1859 and married Elizabeth Collison in Dubbo, New South Wales, in 1879. This marriage did not last, and Davis subsequently moved to Silverton, Broken Hill, and the Tarrawingee Flux Quarries in New South Wales. The quarries produced limestone carbonate, which was transported to Broken Hill to serve as flux in the smelting process for silver, lead, and zinc production (NSW Police Gazette & Weekly Record, 1881, May 11).
In 1893, Davis settled in Menzies, Western Australia, where he operated “The Pioneer Restaurant” on Shenton Street. He remained there until late 1896, then relocated to the goldfields town of Mount Margaret, located about 31 kilometers south of Laverton. In Mount Margaret, Davis owned the Royal Hotel and served on the Board of Health (Menzies Miner, 1896, June 25). Before his time in Western Australia, he had worked with cattle in Queensland, and around 1894, he took out a pastoral lease at Erlistoun, approximately 72 kilometers north of Laverton, to pursue his interest in grazing (Coolgardie Miner, 1897, December 22).
As Mount Margaret declined, Davis applied to the local council in February 1899 for permission to demolish the Royal Hotel and reconstruct it in the nearby, thriving town of Mount Morgans. After a prolonged dispute with the council, he eventually received approval, and by October 1899, the hotel was rebuilt and expanded in Mount Morgans. Retaining the name “Royal Hotel,” he placed his first advertisement in the Laverton Mercury on January 6, 1900. At that time, the town had a population of about 500 people (Laverton Mercury, 1900, January 6).
In March 1900, Davis rented the hotel to Barnett Harris, regaining the license in March 1901. He then added a veranda around the building and solicited tenders for brick additions in September of that year (Laverton Mercury, 1901, October 19). In October 1901, he purchased the Eureka Aerated Water Factory from Henry Charles Henrichs. The factory, located on Queen Street, was managed by Davis’s brother, William Lewis Davis, and produced marble bottles, both small and large, without a visible owner surname on the bottles (Laverton Mercury, 1901, October 5).
A dedicated prospector, Davis owned the Mount Morgan Consol mine in September 1902 and was negotiating its sale with a potential buyer (Kalgoorlie Western Argus, 1902, September 25). By 1903, the town had grown to over 1,200 people and boasted six hotels, two chemists, two general stores, and a hospital (West Australian, 1903, March 24). However, in March 1903, Davis faced financial difficulties. His Eureka factory went bankrupt and was subsequently listed for sale. The property, located on a quarter-acre block on Queen Street, included a four-room house, a factory, a well, and a windmill, and was marketed as a “going concern.” Shareholders received a final dividend in January 1904 (West Australian, 1904, January 25).
Following this period, Davis likely resumed prospecting. He passed away in October 1924 and was buried in Kalgoorlie Cemetery. Probate records list his occupation at the time of his death as a station manager (Kalgoorlie Miner, 1924, October 8). His brother, William Lewis Davis, died in 1930 in Subiaco after working in the timber industry near Dwellingup, Western Australia (West Australian, 1930, January 21).
References
- Coolgardie Miner. (1897, December 22).
- Kalgoorlie Miner. (1924, October 8; 1926, January 15).
- Kalgoorlie Western Argus. (1902, September 25; 1924, October 7).
- Laverton Mercury. (1900, January 6; 1901, March 2; 1901, October 5; 1901, October 19).
- Malcolm Chronicle & Leonora Advertiser. (1899, February 25; 1899, March 4).
- Menzies Miner. (1896, June 25; 1897, March 6).
- NSW Police Gazette & Weekly Record. (1881, May 11; 1888, August 15).
- West Australian. (1903, March 24; 1904, January 25; 1930, January 21).
