John King Davis was one of the most renowned captains in Antarctic exploration. His handling of the ships under his command combined with his understanding of Antarctic conditions was crucial to the safety of the expeditions he undertook with Ernest Shackleton and Douglas Mawson. Just as importantly were his personal qualities of being able to discuss make decisions clearly and without ego. Despite numerous disagreements with Mawson the two never fell out. Davis, once known as "Gloomy Davis" by his crew, is today commemorated through the naming of the Davis Sea and the Australian Antarctic research station Davis.

John King Davis was born in England in 1884, emigrating to South Africa with his father in 1900. However he quickly returned to England working as a steward's boy aboard a mail steamer. He served his seaman's apprenticeship on the Celtic Chief. He then joined the barque Westland trading between England and New Zealand, and was subsequently second officer on the training ship Port Jackson.

In 1907 Davis met Ernest Shackleton in London and was recruited as chief officer of Nimrod for the British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-1909. It was during this expedition that Davis first met Douglas Mawson.

In 1911 Mawson appointed Davis as ship's master of the Aurora and second-in-command of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914. During the Australasian Antarctic Expedition Davis commanded Aurora during five cruises, transporting expedition men and materials and gathering scientific data in the Southern Ocean.

He spent the early years of World War I organising the embarkation of Australian troops and commanding Australian troop transports to the Middle East and Europe. In 1916 he led the relief expedition that rescued marooned members of Shackleton's Trans-Antarctic Expedition.

Following the War he was appointed the Commonwealth's first Director of Navigation in 1920, a post he held for 29 years. He took leave from the Navy to captain Discovery in 1929-30, on the first of its two voyages as part of the British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition.

In 1949 he was appointed to the Australian government's Antarctic Planning Committee. Davis was twice awarded the King's Polar Medal and in 1965 was made a C.B.E. He died in Melbourne on 7 May 1967.

References
Béchervaise, John, 1981, 'Davis, John King (1884-1967)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, viewed 11 October 2023 <http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/davis-john-king-5914>.

More Information