Joseph Davies (Australian politician)

Davies was born in Pontypridd, Wales, to Elizabeth Olivia (née Morgan) and Joseph Edward Davies. He began working in the coal mines of South Wales as a boy, and then in 1899 emigrated to Australia. Davies settled in Perth, where he worked as a labourer (and later boilermaker) at the Midland Railway Workshops. He was involved in various railway trade unions, and in 1911 began working full-time as a union official. Davies also served on the West Guildford Road Board from 1907.[1]

Davies left the Labor Party in the aftermath of the 1916 split on conscription, joining the newly formed National Labor Party.[1] He entered parliament at the 1917 state election, defeating William Johnson (the sitting Labor member and a former party leader) in the seat of Guildford. Davies was re-elected at the 1921 election, albeit with a reduced majority. However, in 1924 William Johnson reclaimed the seat for the Labor Party.[2] Davies attempted to re-enter parliament at the 1924 and 1926 Legislative Council elections, standing as a Nationalist in Metropolitan-Suburban Province, but was defeated on both occasions.[1] He made one final run for parliament at the 1948 Guildford-Midland by-election, standing as an independent, but polled just 0.9 percent of the vote.[2] Davies died in Perth in 1954, aged 74. He had married Mary Theresa Brown in 1903, with whom he had ten children.[1]

• Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly