John King Davis (19 February 1884 – 8 May 1967) was an English-born Australian explorer and navigator notable for his work captaining exploration ships in Antarctic waters as well as for establishing

meteorological station A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for measuring atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include tempera ...

s on

Macquarie Island Macquarie Island is an island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, about halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. Regionally part of Oceania and politically a part of Tasmania, Australia, since 1900, it became a Tasmanian State Reserve in 197 ...

in the subantarctic and on Willis Island in the Coral Sea.

Early life

Davis's formal education, at

Colet Court St Paul's Juniors (formerly Colet Court) is an independent preparatory school for boys aged 7 to 13 in Barnes, London. It forms the preparatory department of St Paul's School, to which most Juniors pupils progress at the age of 13. The School w ...

, London, and at Burford Grammar School, Oxfordshire, ended in 1900, when he and his father left London for

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

, South Africa.

Career

Early exploration work

Davis served as chief officer of the during

Ernest Shackleton Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of ...

's Antarctic expedition in 1908–1909. He was captain of the and second in command of

Douglas Mawson Sir Douglas Mawson OBE FRS FAA (5 May 1882 – 14 October 1958) was an Australian geologist, Antarctic explorer, and academic. Along with Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and Sir Ernest Shackleton, he was a key expedition leader duri ...

Australasian Antarctic expedition The Australasian Antarctic Expedition was a 1911–1914 expedition headed by Douglas Mawson that explored the largely uncharted Antarctic coast due south of Australia. Mawson had been inspired to lead his own venture by his experiences on Ernest ...

in 1911–1914.

First World War

At the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, Davis volunteered for active service, and was put in charge of the troop transport , carrying troops and horses to Egypt and England.

Later exploration work

He also served as Captain of the in 1929–1930 in the course of the British Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition. Davis was Australia's Commonwealth Director of Navigation from 1920 to 1949. It was at the beginning of this period that he volunteered to personally set up the remote Willis Island meteorological and cyclone warning station in 1921–22. He was a contributor of articles to ''Walkabout''.

Later life

Davis was President of the

Royal Society of Victoria The Royal Society of Victoria (RSV) is the oldest scientific society in the state of Victoria in Australia. Foundation In 1854 two organisations formed with similar aims and membership, these being ''The Philosophical Society of Victoria'' (fo ...

1945–1946, as well as being a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Davis Station The Davis Station, commonly called Davis, is one of three permanent bases and research outposts in Antarctica managed by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD). Davis is situated on the coast of Cooperation Sea in Princess Elizabeth Land, ...

in Antarctica, established in 1957, is named after him. He was awarded the

Polar Medal The Polar Medal is a medal awarded by the Sovereign of the United Kingdom to individuals who have outstanding achievements in the field of polar research, and particularly for those who have worked over extended periods in harsh climates. It ...

three times: in 1909, 1917, and 1934. In 1964 he was appointed a Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

. The Davis Sea, located off the Antarctic coast between longitudes 82°E and 96°E, is named after him. John King Davis died in 1967 in

Toorak, Victoria Toorak () is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Stonnington local government area, on Boonwurrung Land. Toorak recorded a population of 12,817 at the 20 ...

, aged 83.

Bibliography

Books authored by Davis include: * (1919) ''With the Aurora in the Antarctic''. Andrew Melrose: London * (1921) ''Willis Island: a storm-warning station in the Coral Sea'' Critchley Parker: Melbourne. * (1997) ''Trial by Ice. The Antarctic Journals of John King Davis'' (Edited by Louise Crossley) Bluntisham Books and Erskine Press: Bluntisham and Norwich ()

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, John King 1884 births 1967 deaths Australian Antarctic scientists Australasian Antarctic Expedition Australian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Australian explorers 20th-century Australian non-fiction writers British emigrants to Australia English explorers English male non-fiction writers English non-fiction writers Explorers of Antarctica Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society Recipients of the Polar Medal Recipients of the pre 1941 Bronze Polar Medal 20th-century English male writers