George Alfred Davies (1846 – 31 January 1897) was an Australian-born Mayor of his native Fremantle. He was a founding director of the Fremantle Building Society and a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

. He built the Oddfellows Hotel in Fremantle, which became the heritage listed Norfolk Hotel.

Life

George Alfred Davies' grandfather, Alfred George Davies, was said to be one of the first settlers in Fremantle, arriving 19 April 1834 on the ''Quebec Trader'', only a few years after

Captain Fremantle Admiral Sir Charles Howe Fremantle GCB RN (1 June 1800 – 25 May 1869) was a renowned British Royal Navy officer. The city of Fremantle, Western Australia, is named after him. Early life Fremantle was the second son of Thomas Fremantle, an ...

claimed West Australia for Britain. His father, Alfred Alexander Davies (1813-1875), was twenty-one when he emigrated with his parents and younger brother, Thomas, to Western Australia. Alfred Davies married twice, and had many children, including: George born in 1846, Edward William Davies born in 1855 and Arthur Elvin Davies, born in 1866. George attended school in Fremantle until he joined his father's business at the age of seventeen. Alfred Davies, between 1849 and 1869, built extensive real estate holdings along some of Fremantle's main streets and operated a pawnbroking business between 1870 and 1874. George formed his own business after working with his father for a decade. Davies sold spirits but he was to become well known for his wine, which he bottled and sold at premises known as the Grosvenor Cellars, in

High Street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...

and Bannister Street in Fremantle. The cellars also held bottling equipment, which enabled his business to buy in grapes to supply the demand for his creation. Wikisource:History of West Australia/George Alfred Davies In 1892 Davies was one of only three people who had a colonial wine licence in Fremantle. In 1875, he married Letitia "Letty" King (1853-1948), with whom he had nine children: George (1872-1940), an unnamed girl (1878-1878), Emma Elizabeth (1879-), Mary Elizabeth (1879-), Ernest Edgar (1884-1914), Ethel May (1888-), Harold Alfred (1893-), Nellie Hannah (1895-) and Georgina Adeline (1897-). Davies was active in public life and supported the idea of enterprises and facilities in public ownership. He was involved in establishing

public baths Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...

on the sea front and in ensuring that the more attractive land around Fremantle was not sold off. Davies owned a plot of land in 1880, which he rented out, but he appears to have had the land cleared by the time he planned a new hotel building. This building, which opened in 1887, was on the corner of

South Terrace South Terrace may refer to: *South Terrace, Adelaide, Australia *South Terrace, Fremantle, Australia {{Road disambiguation ...

and Norfolk Street and was known as the Oddfellows Hotel. This building is heritage listed and is still standing, and is now known as the Norfolk Hotel. Davies and his brother Edward were directors of the Fremantle Building Society, which Davies saw as important as it enabled others to establish themselves as property owners. Davies was elected Mayor of Fremantle in December 1894 and was made a

in March 1895. He is said to have been offered a second term from November 1896 but did not take it in order to allow others to share the honour of being mayor. He was succeeded by

Elias Solomon Elias Solomon (2 September 1839 – 23 May 1909) was an Australian politician based in Fremantle. He was Mayor of Fremantle, MLA for South Fremantle, and the first Member for Fremantle in the Australian House of Representatives. Early life S ...

. Davies died in

Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...

on 31 January 1897 and was buried in

Fremantle Cemetery Fremantle Cemetery is a cemetery located in the eastern part (Palmyra) of Fremantle, Western Australia. Established in 1898, it is known as the final resting place of Bon Scott, several murderers and dozens of other notable Australians. There ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, George Alfred 1846 births 1897 deaths People from Fremantle Wine merchants Burials at Fremantle Cemetery Mayors of Fremantle 19th-century Australian politicians